Broadband over Power Line (BPL)

Broadband over Power Line, also known as power-line networking or power-line communications, is an emerging technology that allows broadband data to travel over utility and household power lines. The prospects represent the perfect solution for people in rural areas who are the last to see high-speed broadband.

Devices already exist on the market that allow consumers to use broadband over power-line within their households. Users simply plug two BPL devices in outlets and plug normal ethernet CAT 5 cable in the BLP devices to network devices in different rooms.

BPL works by modulating high-frequency radio waves with the digital signals from the Internet. The radio waves are injected into the utility grid at specific points. The signals then travel along the wires and pass through the utility transformers to subscribers' homes and businesses where they are decoded.

Several electric companies are also currently running trials on offering broadband service to customers. However, broadband over power line is under fire by several groups including officials in the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA). Those groups, along with amateur radio (ham radio) operators, fear that BPL will interfere with radio signals and systems.

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