By Tim Richardson
Posted: 20/08/2003 at 15:08 GMT


The future of broadband in rural areas via electrical cables hinges on the success of a commercial trial that got underway in Winchester today.

Powerline Communication (PLC) technology, which uses the existing electricity network to deliver broadband by simply plugging a specially-adapted modem into a socket, has already been trialed in Scotland.

Now, though, PLC is facing a commercial trial to see whether it can compete in the market alongside other broadband technologies such as ADSL and cable.

At £29.99 a month, the service costs more than other entry-level DSL and cable broadband services. So has Southern Electric already made the mistake of over-pricing the service compared to other providers?

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