Amperion starts broadband over power line trial in N.C.
05/01/2003 10:37 AM
By Rodney Brown
masshightech.com
Andover-based Amperion Inc., a company working on providing broadband through power lines, today announced that Progress Energy is testing Amperion Connect products serving homes and businesses in Raleigh, N.C.
The company’s product in testing uses a wi-fi endpoint and Powerline technology, which distributes broadband signals over medium-voltage (MV) power lines.
Amperion claims it has achieved a milestone by using multiple cascaded repeaters on the MV power lines, enabling an entire MV circuit to carry broadband with a single Powerline injection point. The use of repeaters eliminates costly backhaul circuits and gets bandwidth exactly where the service provider needs it.
Unlike other Powerline systems in development, Amperion's solution is not tied to the transformer to deliver the broadband signal. Each Amperion repeater device serves as a wi-fi extractor, so customers only have to be within wireless range of a device to receive service. Amperion claims its standards-based access solution enables the provisioning of broadband service in minutes.
"With Progress, we have demonstrated multiple aspects of our technology and, in particular, repeater functionality. The results validate our architectural approach, performance, and business model," said Jeff Tolnar, vice president of business development and marketing for Amperion, in a statement. "Progress has been a wonderful partner. Their desire to be a leader in Powerline technology is evident and is reinforced by their exceptional staff." |
