ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the economic, technological, and regulatory issues that represent challenges to the deployment of broadband over power lines (BPL). It discusses challenges to the movement of BPL field trials and pilot tests to full-scale deployment by electric utilities. The economic model for a major BPL deployment has yet to be verified. Four key technological issues act as impediments to the full-scale deployment of BPL: interoperability, radio interference, the use of WiFi versus the low-voltage power line, and the development of IP-addressable electric meters. Regulators at both the federal and state levels may decide to treat BPL as another telecommunications business. The deployment of BPL service will fall between the two previously mentioned scenarios. Reliable IP-addressable electric meters are in the prototype stage of development. Thus, this application is more than likely several years away from field trials.
