w2co
join:2003-07-16
Longmont, CO
| reply to batageek
Re: why does...
"I'd like to be supportive, but I don't get it"
Well you smell a dog and don't realize it yet...
Go with your first intuitions and stay away from BPL beleive me it's nothing but a dog, and a dead one at that.
Nothing but a big problem for everyone. |
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batageek
Slave To The Duopoly
Premium
join:2003-01-25
| reply to itguy35
And that's great. The city I live in has run fiber (they own their electric utility too) to their buildings, substations, and schools as well.
But my question is specific to BPL technology, or delivering the last mile over powerline. Sure the backbone is fiber, but the most I've seen offered anywhere via BPL (again correct me if I'm wrong) is about 6 meg down. If 802.11b already exceeds that right now, why would an investment in BPL make sense at all? I'm sure the utility would find wifi "drops" cheaper than all the gear necessary to make a BPL drop to a home, even if they over built the system and had a one-to-one drop requirement (one home gets a direct dedicated point to point wireless or BPL connection).
I'd like to be supportive, but I don't get it.
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»www.tricitybroadband.com |
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itguy35
@68.188.x.x
| reply to batageek
A local power company here in MO has been running fiber to substations for quite a while now. Since it is a co-op (non profit) they're leasing the "extra" bandwidth off their gig fiber lines to local schools for prices you couldn't throw a stick at. They're in the process of upgrading 2 local school districts from 3 T1s (4.5mb) each to 10mb fiber for no extra cost (and no installation charges). The added bandwidth will allow for much more distance learning to take place. Since I work for one of the districts I applaud the power company for connecting their substations and helping kids while they're at it. |
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batageek
Slave To The Duopoly
Premium
join:2003-01-25
| reply to garagerock
No slag intended here and please feel free to set me straight...
If the goal of BPL is to serve internet access, and possibly VOIP, to underserved remote areas that sounds great.
But if you're not providing video too (which would seem to be too bandwidth intensive for BPL), why wouldn't you use WiFi instead?
The Wifi bandwidth is greater and the equipment is cheaper (I would guess). Rolling out wifi to the rural masses has got to be a lot easier (and cheaper) via wifi than bpl.
I've tried over and over to get the allure of BPL, but I can't find it. That combined with the lack of any sense of threat from the incumbent "providers" or mass scaling of BPL equipment providers would lead me to think this is going nowhere.
Please, someone, show me the light on BPL and why it's good. |
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