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October 27, 2004
Media Watch: Web plug-and-play
by Doug Millison for SiliconValleyWatcher.com
Plug a modem into any wall electric outlet and connect with the Internet - that was always the "next big thing" to rival the telephone and cable television factions back in the Great Information Superhighway Cultural Revolution of 1994.
"Plugging Into the Net, Through the Humble Wall Outlet" by Tom McNichol in today's New York Times updates the daydream, with news of the roll-out of electrical outlet plug-and-play Internet service to 50,000 households in the Cincinatti area by the end of this year, after tests in some 5,000 households in 18 locations for several years.
In addition to delivering Internet service, the dual-purpose network will collect information to help manage the power Grid. Writes McNichol:
Adding a data channel to the power lines also has potential benefits for the utilities themselves. By reserving a sliver of the B.P.L. data channel for themselves, power companies can use the network to identify problems and accomplish troubleshooting remotely, rather than sending out a crew. Down the road, utilities could install Internet-enabled meters and switches to offer automated meter reading, power demand management and time-of-day pricing. "Our main interest in B.P.L. is using it to better manage our utility," said Bob Dobkin, a spokesman for Pepco, which is based in Washington. Pepco has a pilot B.P.L. program in about 500 homes in Potomac, Md. "It enables you to identify problems without having to send someone out."
Links:
Plugging Into the Net, Through the Humble Wall Outlet by Tom McNichol, New York Times, 28 October 2004
October 27, 2004 09:48 PM
