New Last-Mile Provider Will Electrify You!

In “Last-Mile Dilemma” I enter the argument that Net Neutrality policy may be able to be avoided if only there were more last-mile providers.? To summarize the basic argument, most areas across the nation that have broadband Internet available to them only have 1-2 choices.? This usually consists of a local cable Internet provider and a local telephone DSL Internet provider.? Often a third option is available through a satallite provider.? But technically this is never really a third option because the satallite provider offers DSL via rented last-mile lines that are usually owned by the same telephone provider that offers DSL themselves.? It is usually just some package deal that allows the end user the ability to have all their mediums (television and Internet) on one bill.

Being that these end users only have two choices, generally speaking, there is not much competition in the marketplace.? This is one of the fears Net Neutrality policy proponents use to promote their case reguarding to posibility of last-mile providers creating cable television type tier deals where they would offer you limited Internet access to a list of pre-approved sites instead of being able to surf the web freely and accessing whatever site your heart desired.

I make the argument that if more last-mile providers were available in the marketplace, either through legislation or free market leasing deals, then marketplace competition would prevent some of the fears and maintain Net Neutrality without the need for policy.

Today it was announced that IBM has joined forces with International broadband to help build a network using the power grid.? Power Line Communication (PLC) also more popularly known as Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) is a pretty old technology.? It allows a network to be built that would carry communications over a power grid.? International Broadband will have access to 340,000 homes across Alabama, Indiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.? It’s estimated that 86% of these homes currently have no access to a last-mile provider.? The focus of the project will be on rural areas that have little to no choice when it comes to broadband Internet access.

BPL cannot directly compete with the speeds of Cable or DSL.? But for those that do not currently have a broadband option, this may be the perfect solution.? This doesn’t solve the probelm of the “Last-Mile Dilemma” (This time it is a shameless plug), but it is a step in the right direction.? If options like this persist, and the efforts of access via Wireless Broadband, fiber, and the possibilities with the newly available “White Space” competition may finally be comming back to the broadband market forcing Net Neutrality to be a social norm of the Internet rather than a mandated one.

The BPL service is expected to run around $29.95, providing 256 kilobits per second access speeds.

Will you be jumping on the BPL bandwagon?

- nick