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BPL SOL? Don't Count Your Chickens

NewsForge | Flawed BPL is no broadband panacea Ouch! According to this rather harsh article, Broadband over Power Line (BPL) is neither a compelling technology nor a sound economic alternative to DSL, Cable, or Wireless Broadband, and it has significant interference issues. While this lengthy article is a well written argument against BPL, it should also be noted that the author is a Ham radio operator, which would seem to indicate a bias against BPL.

Still, the arguments brought forward herein against BPL are not new. Not mentioned is the lack of mobility. BPL has its positives, but when compared to wireless broadband, it still has bugs to work out, it is more expensive, and it fails to provide mobility. While some may consider that three strikes, you're out, I would add that for many electric utilitiies this technology holds promise as a way to extend the value of their electricity network assets, and there is intense interest among utilities about BPL.

I believe that like WiMAX, BPL is complementary to wireless broadband mesh technology. It holds potential in the near term as a backhaul technology to complement more mature and economical wireless broadband in a citywide deployment. And it may yet prove to be a compelling alternative to DSL and cable. We'll just have to wait and see.

Posted on May 31, 2005 at 11:23 PM

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