[PVRCNC] BPL in NC

[AA4NC@aol.com]

I know Bill, and he is a good guy. I am in the same building where he works, 
so I'll try to talk to him about this. I hope that Progress Energy is not 
going to be aggressive on this. My feeling is that they aren't. The subsidiary 
that I work for (Progress Telecom), did some wireless internet trials in Florida 
a year or two back, with BPL being one of the technologies used. My impression 
of those trials was that they didn't really think that it was worth the huge 
investment that it would take to roll this out. It adds complexity to the 
distribution system, (which no power company employee wants to see) and it comes 
late in the competitive marketplace with high-speed cable and DSL already well 
established. Where BPL is most needed is rural areas where cable and DSL 
aren't available, but this is where the population density is too low to make BPL 
profitable.

It's merely my opinion, but I feel that the noise that is being made against 
BPL will work. Due to bad investments and the telecom industry "meltdown" of 
the past few years, telecom is a dirty word at power companies. They are trying 
to distance themselves from internet/telecom businesses. Progress Energy just 
this week sold a portion of ProgressTelecom to a VC firm. Unless they see an 
absolutely huge payback for their BPL investment, they will shy away from it. 
I think (and hope) that it will fade away as a widespread technology.

73,

Will


>>>>>It is good to finally see some positive news on this front.

Being a Progress Energy employee, I have met and talked with Bill Godwin 
about this issue.  He is very interested in our concerns, having at one time 
in 
the past shown an interest in becoming a ham.  We spent some time discussing 
how 
the power lines can act as an antenna propagating signals over long 
distances.  He borrowed my ARRL Antenna Book for a few weeks, and has ordered 
his own 
copy from the ARRL. 

73,
Henry - K4TMC