moonpuppy
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD
 ·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to W1RFI
Re: This isn't a viable option......
said by W1RFI  :For the most part, electric utility companies are not interested in providing access broadband to retail customers. They are looking at BPL primarily for utility applications. Meter reading, voltage monitoring, outage detection, video monitoring and load shedding are the primary first-generation targets. Ed, I agree with you except for the point above.
The phone company's regular POTS line are regulated but their optional services (Caller ID, Call-Waiting, etc.) are not so they are free to charge what they like for those services.
While power has been de-regulated in certain areas, memories of Enron are still fresh. BPL is seen, by some, as another non-regulated revenue source. What was sold to the power companies are a quick money maker turned into a technical nightmare.
This reminds me of how the first home computers were sold (Atari, Commodore, etc.) Checkbook and recipe programs were the "new thing" that these things could help out with. Turned out they were more suited for other things like games and the occasional book report that kids would do.  |
