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Technology Stocks : The *NEW* Frank Coluccio Technology Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bengrahamman who wrote (11790)	10/18/2005 12:09:48 AM
From: Frank A. Coluccio	Respond to of 46821

Ron, The electric power utilities possess the physical properties and legal attributes that one would think would make them an ideal fit for broadband distribution. Their rights of way on both their distribution cables (from the generation source) and feeders to homes give them an ideal presence for the placement of fiber and wireless (or fiber) to the home if they chose to do so, but they usually don't. Instead, they defer to a less expensive method that reuses the high-voltage distribution and residential wireline feeders that are already in place. Could they compete otherwise, using more sophisticated approaches? You'd have to examine the variables, which include the number of operators already doing so in the same service area, demographics served, etc. The business case isn't always straightforward, but in the end it's a moot point, because they've elected to avoid the more expensive deployments and stick with BPL, as we have come to know it today, anyway. And in vast majority of the latter, less-expensive alternatives they use unproven - except for what they can cite from trials, which are always contentious, at best - and almost always proprietary modulation schemes over metallic power line conductors that were neither designed for nor ever intended to be used for the passage of electrical (much less RF) signals at frequencies above basic sixty cycle alternating current. There are some rare exceptions to this, where some local, dedicated systems have segments supporting 400 Hz, but nothing that I'm aware of that extends into the thousands of Hertz, or above. Let's hear from some of the wireless and terrestrial transmission experts here. Peter, Fred, ftth ... any others, how would you respond to Ron's questions? FAC

To: Bengrahamman who wrote (11790)	10/18/2005 8:12:33 AM
From: Peter Ecclesine	Respond to of 46821

Hi Bengrahamman, >>is it a fact that power lines can't supply the high speed potential? I used to live on a street with twelve homes and six power transformers (one per pair of homes). For a given speed, BPL per home cost is heavily affected by the number of transformers to be bypassed. Most European residential power drops use a cable constructed of three conductors and a shield, allowing more high frequency energy. >> could they theoretically hook into an optical backbone. The problem isn't a backbone connection, it is the optical fibers in the strength elements are of unknown quality, as they may be twenty years old, and carrying kilobit SCADA. Much like US West installing DSL and discovering bridge taps in the field, not in the documents. >> could there be a synergy b/w UTes (power cos) and telcos or cable operators? Based on what? different operating models, service models, different billing. Same Utility Commissions, same lawyers. >> all hypothetical questions, which need not be answered. just throwing some stuff out there. The D2 BPL success in Spain does not translate to here. petere