The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

IBM, IBEC do rural Internet broadband

Eddy Ito

Time will tell 

Thumb Down

"Whutts dis heer? A muntheley bill !!!?!?! Wuddayuh meen, aren't it fuhree???! Wheye I'ull jes' get mah porn the ol' fashuned whay."

Just a guess, it will come out to roughly $10 million for each person who signs up and keeps it for a year.

Anonymous Coward

Russia 

Paris Hilton

I wonder what technologies and kit Russia used to link up Siberia?

Hud Dunlap

What about HAM radio 

Stop

The issue with Broadband over power lines is that it is interferes with the HAM radio frequency. HAM radio isn't used as much as it used to be but it was still used after Katrina. After a good ice storm takes out power lines it is about all you got left for emergencies.

Charles

Is IBM aware of some of the BPL limitations? 

As I recall, some of the problems of BPL is that some powerline structures, such as transformers, have the unfortunate side effect of squelching the signal, this requiring some form of signal jumper to get it past the stoppage. Many have seen the technology as virtually dead against increasing DSL and Cable rates and increasing FTTH adoption...but focusing on the rural and inner city factor could give it a new spark of like since none of the other would find a good return for the deployment.

Steen Hive

@HAM Radio 

Boffin

"The issue with Broadband over power lines is that it is interferes with the HAM radio frequency. HAM radio isn't used as much as it used to be but it was still used after Katrina. After a good ice storm takes out power lines it is about all you got left for emergencies."

Well duh, if the power lines are down, the power-line broadband won't be doing much interfering will it?