[LINK] BPL

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

>>>> (Access) is important, does anyone have any additional facts re this?
> 
> Let's line up a few facts.
> - Aurora in Tas was discontinued ages ago.
> - SP Ausnet discontinued its trial in about 2007.
> - I cannot find any evidence that Country Energy turned its trial into
>   a commercial service.  http://m.zdnet.com.au/339285857.htm
> - All wide-area (ie, excluding in-home) BPL systems are fully
> proprietary. This makes the viability of commercial service completely
> dependent on the system vendor. Standardisation efforts have gained no
> headway. There is no completed IEEE standard. RC


Thanks, Richard .. i guess most Linkers would accept what you write here
as fact, including me. And yes, it IS early days. Apparently only the US
& Malaysa have developed specs as yet, and they're the same (FCC) anyway

And, as Kim writes, and one imagines most Linkers would agree, broadband
access for ALL is important. (Personally, with nil broadband access, nor
any possibility anytime soon, it certainly is here) So given what you've
said, does any of this preclude concerted Aussie government efforts that
may encourage power company provision of broadband? It works, apparently
quite well indeed. So do you, or any linker see any real impediment to a
tax break or two for BPL systems?  Sure, maybe not today, but apparently
BB perhaps sooner than just about any other BB system. And also, sure we
can go ahead with quantum, whatever, systems, while providing incentives
relatively cheaply for BPL access. Why not? Are there any real problems?

I'm not being a smart arse .. i just want to know why a lot of Australia
has NOT got BB nor probably anytime soon, when it seems that this system 
apparently works quite well. Is it really only a matter of an incentive?
 
If so, and word gets around, maybe country folk should be majorly pissed!


Cheers,
Stephen