[RFI] From Communications Daily re: BPL

[Dave Bernstein]

Given the large number of homes in this country with cable or DSL
connectivity, why aren't electric utilities already providing these services
if they represent such a compelling opportunity? Cable+HomePlug or
DSL+HomePlug is indistinguishable from BPL for this purpose.

     73,

         Dave, AA6YQ

-----Original Message-----
From: rfi-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:rfi-bounces at contesting.com] On
Behalf Of EDWARDS, EDDIE J
Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2004 9:03 AM
To: aa6yq at ambersoft.com; Ford Peterson
Cc: rfi at contesting.com
Subject: RE: [RFI] From Communications Daily re: BPL


You are all missing one important detail that could make BPL worthwhile even
if it doesn't get but a small share of the internet business; as I and
others have mentioned here on "RFI" before, the real reason for the "data
pipe" into the home is to provide value-added electric services that can be
added to the electric bill.  

Once there's a data link to most homes, an electric utility can provide
Outage Detection (faster restoration), Outage Notification, Distribution
Automation, Automated Meter Reading (saves utility $), Energy Load
Management (for discount in rate), not to mention other more futuristic
possibilities.  Some of these are services that electric customer want
according to some polls, and others are functions that utilities desire to
reduce operating costs.  

The only question is which "data pipe" will be the least expensive overall
including capital, operating and maintenance costs.  The only way for them
to find out is for some of them to roll out the different systems and see
which ones meet the budget projections and which ones do not.  

73, de K0iL

-----Original Message-----
From: rfi-bounces at contesting.com On Behalf Of Dave Bernstein

I agree that we should stay out of the financial projection business, Ford.
We should be in the "raise reasonable doubts" business; for Example...snip

-----Original Message-----
From: rfi-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:rfi-bounces at contesting.com] On
Dave-AA6YQ wrote: "One doesn't need expertise in economics to point out the
flaws in BPL's economics any more than one needs expertise in calculus to
point out the flaws in 2+2=22; they are equally glaring and egregious.
Attempting to compete with cable and DSL in urban and suburban areas, for
example, is ludicrous; for a latecomer to displace a dominant product with
an undifferentiated product would require hundreds of millions of dollars in
marketing expense alone, ignoring the rollout, deployment, and
still-unscoped RFI mitigation costs. In rural areas, the fiction that BPL is
a "last mile" solution becomes obvious in the need to deploy repeaters,
transformer bypasses, and other pole-mounted equipment to access a sparse
user population; WiMax will have the clear advantage here."

Dave, and others...

The ARRL has taken the position to not attack BPL on its financial merits.
This is the correct position to take since the ARRL has NO basis to
understand the economics of being an ISP.

As an accountant, I am very familiar with the $$$ behind the ISP business.
...snip

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