utility.net Launch Announced at BPL 2006: New Technology Provider Offers Improved, Cost-Effective Broadband Over Power Line Solution

Charlotte, NC September 17, 2006 - utility.net, a Broadband over Power Line (BPL) turn-key solutions partner, today announced its launch at the Broadband Power Line (BPL) 2006 conference. utility.net is committed to closing the digital divide in unserved and underserved cities and communities in the United States and around the world by transforming the ubiquitous electric plug found in every home and business into a high-speed Internet access point.

utility.net's next-generation patented technology overcomes the inherent limitations of prior-generation BPL solutions, making it the most cost-effective, best-in-class BPL system available today.

"utility.net combines the right technology solution with an experienced, world-class management team to provide the ultimate full-service solution for Investor-Owned Utilities," said Cheryl Smith, Chief Executive Officer. "We are already in detailed partnership discussions with a number of the largest power companies in the US."

utility.net's mission is to bring high-speed Internet access for data, voice and video-on-demand to homes and offices in unserved and underserved areas in association with their utility and value-added partners.

When deployed, this BPL solution provides high-speed broadband network capabilities for both the utility and its customers by delivering a licensed, patented transceiver technology that allows for the data signal to be injected into the medium voltage line. The commercially-standard equipment is cost-effective and easy to install for overhead and underground installations.

utility.net's BPL solution provides both additional revenue opportunities and a robust communications network to utility partners, enabling them to deploy their own smart grid applications, or to take advantage of new BPL-specific applications from utility.net such as outage notification along the circuit line, effectively improving reliability and safety while reducing the cost of managing the grid.

utility.net provides solutions to overcome the biggest issues that previously plagued BPL providers: The new technology has the capacity to "notch" out frequencies used by amateur radio operators and emergency management organizations in real time. Constantly scanning the network for noise and controlling the frequencies used at any given moment, the solution is in full compliance with all FCC Part 15 requirements and specifications.
utility.net technology incorporates regenerators (rather than repeaters) that make sending the broadband signal long distances virtually unlimited. At present, the equipment is serving customers with optimal performance on feeder lines that are more than 13 miles away from a single injection point. This ability to "go the distance" enables utility.net to be the low cost provider of BPL networks and services, delivering great value to the power companies and to their customers.
The DS2-based technology inherent in the utility.net equipment is state-of-the-art, flexible and the most advanced in the access BPL marketplace today.


utility.net's world-class management team has extraordinary experience managing complex networks in both the utility and telecommunications industries. The team is led by Cheryl Smith who most recently was the CIO of McKesson Corporation, a Fortune 20 company. Prior to that appointment, she was the CIO of KeySpan Corporation, one of the largest energy companies in the Northeast US, and a Vice President at Verizon. She brings with her two superior network technologists and engineers, an experienced construction and deployment manager, top energy industry legal counsel and expert financial advisors.

In addition, the company is supported by a best-in-class Network Operations Center, industry regarded electrical installation contractors and an expert marketing organization.