Utilities tap broadband-over-power-line technology

Utilities view broadband over power line (BPL) services not only as an enabler of new revenue but as a benefactor of internal operations as well.

Indeed, several utilities researched by Newton-Evans in the first quarter do not want to be in the telecommunications services business, but do want to gain the benefits of BPL for their internal use in remote asset management, monitoring and network control.

BPL's greatest promise is its potential to extend broadband to approximately 2 billion rural inhabitants who are "unreachable" for modern voice and data services, Newton-Evans says. Yet BPL will also be a key enabler of advanced metering infrastructure and automated meter reading, and allow demand response and "demand-side management" programs to develop, the firm asserts.

"Many observers see BPL as eventually able to replace other forms of remote asset management that include SCADA, Teleprotection, and the use of narrow bandwidth forms of Power Line Carrier communications," the firm states in a press release.

BPL is still in its infancy, but certain Western nations have now gained significant experience with sizable pilot implementations, Newton-Evans claims. These BPL rollouts, whether tests or full-scale deployments, now encompass the ability to serve perhaps 10 million customers, the firm says.

The number of worldwide electricity consumers covered by BPL deployments is expected to grow from 1.3 million in 2006 to 69.5 million in 2010, according to Newton-Evans, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 170.4%. In North America, that number will grow from 745,000 to 20 million over the same period, a CAGR of 127.6%.

The number of BPL subscribers worldwide will grow from 215,500 in 2006 to 7.2 million in 2010, Newton-Evans predicts, a CAGR of 140.6%. In North America, BPL subscribers will grow from 75,000 to 2.5 million over the same period, a CAGR of 140.3%.