"Broadband over Power Lines set to electrify the Internet access market" says visiongain

Also known as the "third wire" for delivering broadband communications to users, more than 100 trials in 40 different countries worldwide since 2001 have confirmed the viability of BPL technology. The main commercial BPL networks in the EU are found in Germany, Australia and Spain. There are also numerous trials and pilot projects currently underway in the US, where at least 10,000 users subscribe to commercial services.
"One of the advantages offered by BPL is that the technology will help stimulate new competitive market dynamics by introducing a new means of broadband access that does not require the building of an entirely new infrastructure," says report author Sherman Fridman. "The very real and the very over-dramatised questions of BPL-caused RF interference have recently begun to be answered satisfactorily," he noted.
BPL has been hampered by concerns over interference and the lack of standards necessary to drive it forward. But recent developments point to these problems being resolved, which, along with the upcoming next-generation BPL products, will make BPL a viable alternative to DSL and cable.

The ubiquity of electric power lines as the means of providing access to the Internet is of particular benefit in rural areas, where the biggest promise lies for BPL. But visiongain warns that unless governments are willing to subsidise the substantial infrastructure costs required to enable a BPL system, the technology of providing broadband access over power lines may not be economically viable in these areas.
In urban areas, BPL's timing is critical, because it must compete in a very competitive marketplace, one in which legacy players have not only established a firm foothold, but are beginning to offer triple-play services, giving them differentiation and a competitive advantage.

This latest report from visiongain, "Broadband over Power line: Challenging existing broadband dynamics", examines BPL both as a stand-alone technology and as a competitive entry into the broadband marketplace. It analyses the issues surrounding BPL and profiles the main players and trials happening in this space.

ENDS

Notes for Editors
If you are interested in a more detailed overview of this report, please send an e-mail to sara.peerun@visiongain.com or phone Sara on 020 8767 6711 or see www.visiongainintelligence.com

About visiongain

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