Broadband over Power Line

A BPL subscriber installs a modem that plugs into an ordinary wall outlet and pays a subscription fee similar to those paid for other types of Internet service. No phone, cable or satellite connection is required. BPL operates at speeds similar to those of digital subscriber line (DSL).

BPL works by modulating high-frequency radio waves with the digital signals from the Internet. These radio waves are fed into the utility grid at specific points. They travel along the wires and pass through the utility transformers to subscribers' homes and businesses. Little, if any, modification is necessary to the utility grid to allow transmission of BPL.

BPL has been in existence for several years but has never been implemented on a broad scale for a number of reasons. Amateur radio operators and others have voiced concerns that BPL will interfere with transmissions. Furthermore, no major power company has expressed interest in BPL. However, in November 2008, IBM announced that they had signed a contract with International Broadband Electric Communications to deploy the technology throughout the rural areas of the United States.

Read more about Broadband over Power Line: - How Stuff Works explains broadband over powerline (BPL). - For CNET News, Marguerite Reardon reports that IBM will bring broadband over powerline (BPL) to rural America.

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