[HoustonHam] BPL in Houston update...

[Bill Buoy]

In this morning's paper. Full article at

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/3259278

Double duty for power lines
CenterPoint tests high-speed access via wall sockets
By TOM FOWLER
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

CenterPoint Energy is testing a system to bring high-speed Internet access
to consumers through the medium it knows best - the electric wall socket.
ADVERTISEMENT

The company that owns the power lines throughout Houston is running a pilot
of the system in a Greenway Plaza-area residential neighborhood, offering
Internet access at speeds more than one-and-a-half times the speed of
services offered through cable modems.

The technology, called broadband over power lines, or BPL, has long been
used by power companies to monitor and manage their electric grids, said
Thomas Standish, chief operating officer of CenterPoint's Electric and
Information Technology business.
<snip>

The scary part is that Broadband to the consumer isn't the primary
justification. They apparently want to use the connection to read the meter.
The consumer aspect is just gravy...

If someone with Chronicle contacts can get in touch with Tom to explain the
other side, or maybe just start an email campaign to educate him, perhaps we
can get the other side of the story out to more people.

73,
Bill