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To: im a survivor who wrote (47)	2/3/2005 12:04:07 AM
From: Manx	Respond to of 52

nbr.co.nz Powerline internet humming in Oz The hum in overhead Australian powerlines isn't just electricity whizzing around the grid -- in a few places, it's also super-high-speed internet connections. The Australian Communications Authority (ACA) is getting down to the nitty gritty as providers ramp up trials of the technology, which allows high speed internet backbones to be constructed over high voltage and medium voltage powerlines. Switching stations deliver the connections directly into homes, where users access broadband through modems that plug into wall outlets. On 21 January, the ACA announced that it had set up a broadband over powerline (BPL) information portal to "provide background information on BPL technology and the interim arrangements for trialling it in Australia. It will also carry details of trials that are already underway here in Australia." Acting Chairman Dr Bob Horton said the ACA had developed regulatory guidelines for testing BPL technology. He said the ACA had also started a comprehensive examination of the communications regulatory issues associated with BPL for delivery of telecommunications services using electrical power wiring and is consulting with interested stakeholders. It plans to issue a discussion paper in early April, he said. The move comes as commercial pilots are proving the technology in a number of locations, with several large installations operating in the US. The communications regulator in the US recently approved powerline broadband technology over the strong objections of ham radio operators, who said it disrupted their communications. The EU ground promising early development of BPL technology to a near standstill in 2001 when it demanded that the industry standardise. At that point, several companies with strong proprietary interests in a variety of approaches simply backed out of further development or relegated it to a back burner. In many cases, the owners of powerline infrastructure are unwilling to enter the telecom market directly and are partnering with specialist partners. "The challenge for the ACA is to set regulatory arrangements that do not unnecessarily inhibit the adoption of BPL technology but at the same time protect radiocommunications services from harmful interference," Dr Horton said. "Australia is keeping pace with international deployment of BPL technology. Government regulators in the European Union, United States and other countries have either prepared, or are preparing, regulatory frameworks to accommodate in-house and access BPL technologies." Two trials of the technolgy were completed last year and a third is underway in Queanbeyan. A fourth trial was held last year in Hobart, Tasmania. 1-Feb-2005

To: im a survivor who wrote (47)	7/8/2005 10:13:17 AM
From: Manx	Respond to of 52

Current receives a $100M boost Friday July 8, 6:00 am ET By David Shabelman in San Francisco and Ron Orol in Washington Broadband customers dissatisfied with their cable or digital line service may have reason for hope. Current Communications Group LLC, which makes technology to deliver high-speed Internet access over conventional power lines, on Thursday said it has received funding from an all-star group of investors including Google Inc., Goldman, Sachs & Co. and The Hearst Corp., with published reports putting the round at $100 million. ADVERTISEMENT Current's so-called broadband over power line, or BPL, technology lets users get broadband service by plugging directly into a standard electrical outlet without any special equipment. Although this approach, which has been in development for several years, has to date failed to take off, backing from high-profile investors could lend a boost to BPL, especially in rural areas that lack cable or digital subscriber line service. Proponents of the technology also say it could dramatically cut the costs of rolling out broadband service because it averts having to build costly networks. Current's service, which costs $29.95 to $39.95 a month, is available to customers of Cincinnati utility company Cinergy Corp. in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. Cinergy subsidiary Cinergy Broadband LLC invested $10 million in Current as part of a $70 million round of funding last year that also included EnerTech Capital and Current's principal stakeholder, Liberty Associated Partners LP. Both firms also participated in the latest round. Officials with Germantown, Md.-Current could not be reached for comment, and Google officials declined comment. In a statement, the Mountain View, Calif., Internet company said it expects the investment in Current to foster better access to the Internet. Among Current's competitors are Amperion Inc. of Andover, Mass., and Main.net-Powerline Communications of Reston, Va. Amperion raised $10 million in a Series A round of financing in December. The company's investors include Aspen Ventures of Los Altos, Calif.; Argo Global Capital of Boston; Global Internet Ventures of Reston, Va.; PPL Corp. of Allentown, Pa.; Redleaf Group Inc. of Saratoga, Calif.; and Telkonet Inc. of Germantown, Md. Although Google has made a number of small acquisitions, it has announced very few investments. Last year, it invested an undisclosed sum in Chinese Internet search provider Baidu.com Inc. BPL got a big boost last year when the Federal Communications Commission eliminated restrictions on BPL use. Some critics, such as American Radio Relay League, a Newington, Conn.-based advocacy group for amateur radio users, contend that the new broadband networks can disturb radio signals. With BPL, broadband is transmitted over power lines using radio waves, causing interference for existing communications systems. Amateur radio service operators are particularly affected, the ARRL said in a recent letter to lawmakers. The group is urging legislators to sponsor a bill introduced by Rep. Mike Ross (news, bio, voting record), D-Ark. that urges the FCC to revisit its method of assessing the impact of BPL. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, President Bush's main adviser on telecommunications policy, recently warned the agency that BPL could cause significant interference to government users of short-wave radio frequencies. Regulations for BPL could emerge at the federal or state level. A recent report by the National Association of Rural Utility Commissioners urged state utilities to take minimize to BPL regulations. The FCC or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission also could preempt state regulation of BPL. The FCC on Thursday released its annual report on broadband penetration in 2004. According to the study, out of the roughly 38 million broadband users in the U.S., roughly 700,000 customers get Internet access using BPL