High speed internet via electrical power lines

As I understand it, they need to jumper the signals over the step down transformers anyway, so its not suddenly going to corrupt the entire power grid. I wouldn't worry about it until you start seeing ads from your local provider. That may, er, *never* happen. Just because the FCC authorizes it doesn't mean a viable business model exists.

Ed,

It is already in use here in Cincinnati. We have a provider of BroadBand over PowerLines and it actually works very well. It was not offered as a trial or a pilot. It is full fledged, ongoing business AFAIK.

I don't know how it may affect audio components, but I do know the service works very well and it is cheaper than the cable companies offering. Also, no need to run cable into the house is a plus for many people. It works where ever there is an AC outlet in your house.

Enjoy,

TIC

Interesting. But, just because it isn't a trial or pilot doesn't mean Cin isn't a test market--they may be operating at a significant loss.

There isn't anything new to using power lines as carriers. The problem is that the modulated signals don't pass through transformers very well. So, you need to have some box connecting either side of the transformer to put the signal back on. Heck, even in the local X10 systems, people often needed jumpers in the fuse box to connect different legs *inside a single house*. That stuff was pretty low speed/data rate signalling too.

As the third entrant in the market (behind the telco and the CATV co), the power company has to price itself to undercut the competition. I just think the business model is going to be a difficult case.

Repeating something I have noted before...I bought and installed a device that deliberately puts pulses on the power lines which supposedly keeps mice out of your walls. (So far I think this really does work, and it is based on some solid research). Anyway, I thought I would need to unplug the thing when I played the audio system. Not so. Evidently the power supplies in my equipment reject this noise (exactly as I would expect them to do). FWIW and IMHO.

If it's gonna be a problem that begs a solution, then some corporate profiteer will oblige us with one. Damn those capitalists :)