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Technology Stocks : LAST MILE TECHNOLOGIES - Let's Discuss Them Here -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: MikeM54321 who wrote (6695)	3/20/2000 6:29:00 PM
From: lml	Respond to of 12823

Its not so stupid, Mike. One of the undisputed values on a utility company's balance sheet is real property interest in ROWs. Laying fiber along utility ROWs is not novel. RCN plans to do it, or make use of existing fiber owned by SCE (Southern California Edison for you non-locals) to deliver cable & telephony services in greater Los Angeles. I can only presume that they plan to extend SCE's existing fiber backbone, which they will lease, by laying fiber along SCE's utility ROWs right to the curb. My understanding is that RCN plans to do this in "select" markets where the ROI merits the upfront investment. As far as a true powerline solution, if it is feasible, my understanding is that the benefits offered are due to the grid nature of the network, which offers unparalleled redundancy in the event of failure at a particular node in the network. This obviously presents advantages when it comes to traffic congestion at particular points in the network. While this sounds good, experience has shown us that such "failsafe" grid network can also lead to a domino effect whereby unmet demand in one area can result in failure across the entire network. Hopefully, designers of power networks are working to overcome these design defects. JMO.

To: MikeM54321 who wrote (6695)	3/20/2000 6:29:00 PM
From: Raymond Duray	Respond to of 12823

Hi Mike, Out our way, the BPA (Bonnevile Power Administration) put a FO link from the dams on the Columbia down to the farthest grid tie-ins in So Cal and Arizona a couple of years ago. For the most part, the FO was to be utilized for inter-agency power-line management purposes. There was some discussion at the time of this new FO system having excess bandwidth capacity that could be leased to interested third parties. I have not heard much on the subject in a long while. While I would agree with you that the presence of existing Rights-Of-Way offer huge advantages to the electric utilities, I would tend to believe that what is holding back the development of FO plant would be: 1) the nature of the regulation of the electric industry, with it's awkward interface with state PUCs, and strictures on what the regulated segment of the utility can engage in, 2) the state of flux of present efforts toward de-regulation and the split that is occurring between the transmission and generation ends of the business, 3) the immaturity of the optical device industry, wherein OADM capabilities are still only affordable to carrier class businesses and certainly aren't inexpensive yet for massive deployment in residential neighborhoods [Aside: While I would agree with you that the installation of cable for this system would be relatively inexpensive, I cannot agree as to the cost of the equipment.] and finally 4) the engineers, technicians and managements of the electric utilities simply have not been trained as telecommunication experts and won't be able to transition profitably to this new market in the short term. Even more OT: There is some development of FO capability within the utility industry to use FO as a means of remote monitoring of customer meters. A use viewed by some utility managers as being in conflict with the development of a telecom infrastucture that would tie in to the PSTN. A company at the forefront of this sort of development is located here in Bend, OR. Orcom Solutions: orcom.com is privately held. I'll see if I can find out any new news from an associate who happens to work there. I'll post anything salient to the discussion. Best, Ray

To: MikeM54321 who wrote (6695)	3/21/2000 1:52:00 AM
From: Charles R	Respond to of 12823

Mike, <Since anyone would be very hard pressed to find any home or office in the developed world not connected by electricity, it must mean there are MASSIVE amounts of right-of-way that all these electrical utility companies own. Right? And from what I see, most of it is aerial. And most of the power lines hit these giant backbone like towers crossing our entire country and probably the world. Then they all lead to these giant, barbed wired, fenced in yards tailor made for COs or POPs. > In California most power deployments of late have been underground. Not sure what the percentage of total deployment is underground but the trend is clearly underground. <Well what is so hard about taking a fiber cable and ty-wrapping it to every piece of electrical wire running throughout the world? Just throw in the equipment (which is relatively cheap compared to obtaining RoW and trenching cable), and bingo! You have instant FTTH worldwide. > Once you consider manpower, systems, billing and other services cost, running fiber along to each home/business may not be much cheaper to power guys than telecos. Especially considering the amount of infrastructure needed to be put in to support the first customer. The take rate has to be pretty high for these guys to break-even. Now, what story can the powerline guy tell people to use their system versus a LEC? Just my 2 cents. Chuck

To: MikeM54321 who wrote (6695)	3/21/2000 2:41:00 PM
From: TheStockFairy	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 12823

Yeppers, you are right. The highest cost of bringing power or electrical service to a home is THE HOLE that has to be dug from point a to b. I assume that there is a regulatory statute in place that is not allowing fiber to be laid with the electricity...or it is the inefficient power companies choice not to provide this type of service. Furthermore, I know that for home services, they do lay the power and the phone in the same trench...so it doesnt sound like there would be any problems with putting fiber in the hole. Something to look in to....if anyone needs the contacts in the construction industry that are providing the services to the power and phone companies, send me a PM, maybe we could work out a business plan.

To: MikeM54321 who wrote (6695)	3/21/2000 3:19:00 PM
From: Lutz Moeller	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 12823

Mike, here in Germany are some regional Trials with Powerlinedatatraffic underway . NSM hat the Circuits for that already in 1980. I wonder, why the Trial took such a long Time. Lutz

To: MikeM54321 who wrote (6695)	3/21/2000 4:29:00 PM
From: Patricia L. Clews	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 12823

There's a private company in Dallas/Ft Worth area called Media Fusion who has gotten a patent for a way to send data "piggy back" on the electric lines. foxnews.com Patti

To: MikeM54321 who wrote (6695)	3/21/2000 8:27:00 PM
From: g.w. barnard	Respond to of 12823

Mike, What you are talking about has been discussed many, many times in the electrical industry. Matter of fact here is the latest development: Six Companies Form Fiber-Optic Network Six energy utilities and telecommunications companies said they have formed a high-speed fiber optics company with a 7,000-mile network in the eastern United States. The new company, America's Fiber Network, said it is in position to reach about 35 percent of the U.S. wholesale communications market. America's Fiber Network was formed by utilities American Electric Power Co., GPU Inc., Allegheny Energy Inc. and FirstEnergy Corp. and telecommunications firms CFW Communications Co. and R&B Communications. America's Fiber Network will provide telecommunications capacity to Internet service providers, local and long-distance phone companies and wireless communications companies. The network will operate in an area that reaches from New York to Chicago and from Rochester, N.Y., to Johnson City, Tenn. (Source: Reuters News Service) Here to fore regulatory, safety, knowledge, training and business models haven't proved to be co-productive. Now that is changing. The electric industry has been trialing communications via the static wire or neutral for yrs now. Just didn't work out yet!! You are on the money about rights of way and capabilities. Many electric companies have dormant (dark cable)available as we speak. They need telecomunications to operate the substations, switcing, and to keep up the electrical intergratiy of the grid so believe me it is not new. You will see these electric companies in more ventures going forward, remember they are still regulated!! gw