[funsec] Not so fast, broadband providers tell big users (fwd)

Wed Mar 14 07:02:06 UTC 2007

{re: BPL will bring competition...}

I am totally baffled by all the hype over BPL.

What is true is the utilities would wet their pants over having
same. Not for offering Internet access, but so they could read
every electric meter in realtime, and do load-shedding as well.

What they SEEM to be doing is trying to convince the Vulture
Capitalists that BPL makes sense for 'Net access, and "By the way,
as long as you're paying, we'd like to use it ourselves.."

But using BPL for 'Net access is well, insane.

a) It not only makes RF interference out the yingyang; it is also
highly susceptible to other RF emitters confusing it. So it's
"Ahh Grasshopper" ish in constantly jumping around retraining
its spectrum useage, rather like a modem on a bad line.

Ergo, unpredictable latency/throughput.  That's OK for Jill
Winecooler's email & baby picture sharing, and totally unacceptable
for VOIP, XM & other music streaming, TV episode replays,
YouTube, etc.

b) It makes the most sense in dense neighberhoods where lots of
folks share a power trasnformer. [Each one needs a $hunt installed
to pass the data around the transformer.] I.e: Europe, and maybe
US dense surburbia/apt houses, and such. But that's exactly where
DSL & cable are already available...

c) Note that the equipment installers in b) are not your average
Cable Guy. They must be $killed HV power linemen in bucket
trucks etc. 

d) It won't reach DSL/cable fiber speeds Ever. So as demand grows...

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