UPLC -

Program: Broadband Power Line 2008

admin — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:51:43 -0400

Broadband Power Line 2008
09/10/2008 through 09/12/2008

1:00pm-5:00pm 09/10/2008	Site Visit – CenterPoint Energy CenterPoint has deployed BPL to 45,000 electric and gas customers in its Houston service territory. The deployment is part of an overall Advanced Metering System (AMS) that CenterPoint Energy proposed to deploy to 250,000 homes and businesses over a three year period. CenterPoint is seeking PUC approval for the deployment, and plans to begin implementation of its deployment plan upon completion of the PUC review and issuance of a PUC order approving the plan. CenterPoint plans to install the meters on homes and businesses as requested by retail electric providers (REPs) who elect to participate in the plan. The interactive meter will enable REPs to offer new products and services to their customers such as time-of-use rates, which encourage shifting electricity demand from peak to off-peak times when costs are lower, thereby helping to offset the need to build new generation. Interactive meters will also enable customers to take advantage of greater transparency regarding their usage and allows them better means to evaluate various REP rates, helping customers to seek the best retail prices and services. Finally, the meters will not only automate meter reading, but also enable remote connect and disconnect of electric service, which should significantly reduce the time required for customers to have new electric service connected or to switch REPs. CenterPoint plans to implement a load research program to measure the impact on consumers’ electricity usage from the information and capabilities made available by the interactive meters. Results of this initial deployment would be evaluated in deciding whether to seek subsequent approval by the PUC for full deployment for 2 million electric meters across CenterPoint’s system.This site visit will show how BPL is being deployed for utility applications on a significant scale.Don’t miss this exciting opportunity!
3:00pm-5:30pm 09/10/2008	UPLC Board of Directors Meeting (Private Event)
5:30pm-7:30pm 09/10/2008	Networking Reception
8:00am-5:30pm 09/11/2008	Registration
8:30am-9:00am 09/11/2008	Continental Breakfast
9:00am-10:00am 09/11/2008	Roadmap for the Industry: Where We Are, Where We Are Going, and What We Need to Do to Get There The Chairs of UPLC will provide opening remarks regarding the current state of the BPL industry and the utility industry, and will outline a roadmap for the coming year.
10:00am-10:15am 09/11/2008	Networking Break
10:15am-11:15am 09/11/2008	Smart Grid and BPL This session will examine the opportunities and challenges for deploying BPL for smart-grid applications, and will include presentations from a variety of companies that are focused on the smart-grid market.
11:15am-12:00pm 09/11/2008	Broadband and BPL This session will examine the business opportunity for using BPL to offer commercial services. During this session you will gain first-hand experience from companies that are deploying BPL to provide broadband services to in-building and rural markets.
12:00pm-1:00pm 09/11/2008	Networking Lunch
1:00pm-2:00pm 09/11/2008	Technical Update This session will include representatives from the leading BPL manufacturers presenting their newest technologies. Find out what is currently available and what is being developed for both Access and in-home BPL.
2:00pm-3:00pm 09/11/2008	Standards Roundtable This session will include representatives from the main organizations working on developing standards for coexistence and interoperability between in home and Access BPL systems as part of IEEE’s P1901 Working Group.
3:00pm-3:15pm 09/11/2008	Networking Break
3:15pm-4:15pm 09/11/2008	Regulatory Update This session will describe the current state of public policies that will affect BPL at the state and federal level. It will also focus on smart-grid legislation and regulations and how BPL can benefit.
4:15pm-5:15pm 09/11/2008	International Developments This session will include presentations about the deployment of BPL around the world. Find out where BPL is being deployed, the issues that have been encountered, and the outlook going forward.
5:30pm-7:00pm 09/11/2008	Networking Reception
8:00am-12:00pm 09/12/2008	Registration
9:00am-10:00am 09/12/2008	BPL Case Study: CenterPoint Energy Hear the CenterPoint Energy case study for their BPL Deployment.
10:00am-11:00am 09/12/2008	BPL Case Study: Xcel Energy, Boulder Colorado Come hear the case study of how Xcel Energy is working with Boulder Colorado to deploy BPL.
11:00am-11:15am 09/12/2008	Networking Break
11:15am-12:00pm 09/12/2008	Utility & Service Provider Roundtable This session will provide insights from utilities and service providers about the opportunities and challenges for BPL, as well as predictions about the future for BPL going forward.

Broadband Power Line 2008
Registration Program Sponsorships Accommodations

Registration: Broadband Power Line 2008

admin — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:38:59 -0400

Registration is available online by clicking here or by downloading the registration form and faxing it to 202.833.6812, ATTN: UTC Meetings.

Registration Costs:
BPL08 - UPLC Member Early Registration	$795	Ends 08/13/2008
BPL08 - UTC Member Early Registration	$895	Ends 08/13/2008
BPL08- Non-Member Early Registration	$1295	Ends 08/13/2008

UTC Cancellation Policy:
All cancellations must be submitted in writing before August 13, 2008 and are subject to a 15% service charge. Written cancellation notices can be emailed to meetings@utc.org or faxed to 202.833.6819. No verbal cancellations will be accepted, this includes voicemail messages.

Broadband Power Line 2008
Registration Program Sponsorships Accommodations

Broadband Power Line 2008 - Sponsorships

kristy.weinshel — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:16:43 -0400

Sponsorships will be available for this event. Please contact exhibits@utc.org for more information.

Broadband Power Line 2008 - Accommodations

kristy.weinshel — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:10:58 -0400

Houston Marriott West Loop by the Galleria
1750 West Loop South
Houston, TX 77072

Reservations: 800.613.3982 Online Reservations

The special UPLC room rate is $169 per night plus tax if you make your reservation prior to August 13, 2008. Please mention you are with UPLC to receive this special rate.

Getting There:

Super Shuttle: Guest proceeds to curb and looks for Super Shuttle sign. Guest can wait up to 30 minutes for van and take another 30-45 minutes to arrive at hotel with three stops on the way. Cost is $18 per person. (800) 258-3826

Taxi: Proceed to curb, taxi will be called up from hold lot. Cost is $25 - $32 per carload. Transfer time approximately 15-20 minutes.

Transtyle Transportation & Limousine Services:
Direct Transfer to Hotel $18-$45, based on number of guests.
Please call for immediate pick up and transfer (15-20 minutes).

Also available: Meet and Greet, group transfers, van service, VIP pick-ups. 480-948-6131 / (800) 410-5479

Our Concierge may arrange for motor coaches or minibuses for airport transfers or group outings.
Car rentals are also available on property and arranged through Concierge Services. Direct line (602) 765-5813

Broadband Power Line 2008

admin — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:54:25 -0400

Broadband Power Line 2008

09/10/2008 through 09/12/2008
Houston Marriott West Loop by the Galleria
Houston, TX

There is only one place to learn how important BPL has become to every electric utility.

SMART GRIDS: If you are even thinking about any kind of smart grid application - from smart metering to distribution automation - you need to consider BPL as a technology to enable Smart Grid and understand where it works best.

COMMUNITY BROADBAND: Using BPL to deliver high-speed broadband service to entire communities, utilities are providing consumers affordable access to rural and underserved areas. You need to learn from those that are succeeding with commercial BPL how they make it work.

TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS: Whether you are enabling Smart Grid or providing commercial services, you need to know all of your technology options - including BPL - and you also need to look to the future in terms of your technology requirements. Find out how BPL works and where it is working in the U.S. and around the world.

PLUS: Attendees will receive a copy of the UPLC/UTC Research Report "New Directions for Broadband Over Power Line" as a part of their registration fee AND the opportunity to tour CenterPoint Energy's intelligent grid demonstration facility and see BPL in action.

Whether you're responsible for building your utility's communications networks or work on the customer service side and need to better understand your smart grid options, Broadband Power Line 2008 is a must-attend meeting. If you're looking at how your municipal electric company or rural cooperative can help bring broadband to your community before AT&T or Verizon think you deserve it, you have to be here. If your company is selling broadband technologies to utilities - whether it is BPL of not - you cannot afford not to be represented at Broadband Power Line 2008.

And, don't forget - register before August 13th and save hundreds of dollars.

Broadband Power Line 2008 Home
Registration Program Sponsorships Accommodations

UPLC PowerLine - June 17, 2008

kristy.weinshel — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:26:38 -0400

UPLC PowerLine

Unsubscribe | United Power Line Council | UPLC Membership

Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Volume 5 Issue 6	©2008 United Power Line Council

FCC Reports Data on Broadband, including BPL; Proposes New Broadband Data Collection Requirements

In its Fifth Report on broadband deployment in the U.S. released last week, the FCC stated that the BPL industry continues to evolve and that "new BPL companies and technologies are entering the marketplace and new strategies are emerging." Specifically, it reported that "utility companies have formed on using BPL to improve their own services, including a variety of utility and energy "Smart Grid" applications, such as advanced metering for time-of-use pricing, load management and power outage warning detection."

The FCC also released a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which proposed to track broadband availability using Census Tracts, instead of zip codes under its current rules. This will provide a more accurate description of the availability of broadband, the Commission stated. The FCC will also require carriers to report data by categories of subscriptions based on the speeds of services that are offered. There are eight categories: "first-generation" data at 200 kbps to 768 kbps; "basic broadband tier 1" at 768 kbps to 1.5 megabits per second; "broadband tier 2" at 1.5 Mbps to 3 Mbps; "broadband tier 3" at 3 Mbps to 6 Mbps; "broadband tier 4" at 6 Mbps to 10 Mbps; "broadband tier 5" at 10 Mbps to 25 Mbps; "broadband tier 6" at 25 Mbps to 100 Mbps; and "broadband tier 7" for any service providing speeds greater than 100 Mbps. Ultimately, the FCC intends to take the data and develop a nationwide broadband mapping program. The FCC will collect data from a wider variety of providers, including broadband wireless and interconnected VoIP providers.

In general, comments on the rulemaking in WC Docket No. 07-38 will be due 30 days after it is published in the Federal Register, and reply comments will be due 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register. The only exception is for comments/replies on the broadband mapping proposals, which must be filed respectively within 15 and 30 days of the Federal Register Notice publication.

International Regulation:
South Africa Poised to Adopt Rules for BPL

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) issued a Notice this month to hold public hearings for regulations in respect to technical standards for power line telecommunications. The hearing will be held on June 18-19 in Johannesburg, and will feature testimony from the electric industry, as well as the telecom industry and certain radio users (including Amateur operators) in the high-frequency (HF) bands. The regulations were proposed in February, and include standards for both conducted and radiated emissions that BPL must follow. The proposed rules are reportedly modeled after the FCC rules, and, like the FCC rules, include interference mitigation requirements such as 20 dB notching and certain exclusion zones and bands of exclusion designed to protect certain government operations. However, the regulations include limits on conducted emissions, which are not part of the FCC rules. For more information, please contact the UPLC Legal/Regulatory Department.

Industry: Cullman Electric Cooperative Moves Forward with BPL Deployment

This month, Cullman Electric Cooperative and IBEC are reportedly planning to offer BPL Internet service to approximately 1800 customers served by its Berlin substation. Reportedly, residents will be required to pay $99 fee to purchase and activate a BPL modem; and monthly service starts at $29.95. Co-op customers who use the service will be allowed to pay the fee through their monthly power bill.

Brian Lacy, Communications Coordinator for Cullman stated, "we're going to put it out there. The people who live out there are right now really limited in what their choices are. That's one of the reasons the co-op is looking at this in the first place." Lacy said if the program is successful, the co-op plans to expand the service to other rural parts of the county that previously had few options for obtaining broadband access. "If it's something that turns out to be a good thing, and it's feasible and something we feel will be to our members' benefit, then we would move forward and start working on bringing it to other portions of our service territory," he said.

Scott Lee, President & CEO of IBEC stated, "if everything goes well with this deployment, we will be scheduling additional substations by August and if we get rolling in a year, year and a half, we could have all Cullman Electric (Cooperative) deployed, which covers about 40,000 homes.

Melissa Cartee, the co-op's Vice President of Member Services and Community Development, added that "it's not just a pilot program to see if it's going to work or not, but it's a pilot program to determine how fast we're going to continue on with it. We think this is something that our membership has anxiously awaited for and we are anxiously awaiting for them to have it available," Cartee said.

Industry: DS2 Announces New Reference Design: the DE21P

Last month, DS2 announced the availability of a new compact reference design, the DE21P module for embedded powerline communications applications for home networking and IPTV applications. Reportedly, "the DE21P enables product differentiation and can be used for widely different products including set top boxes, home gateways, remote speaker systems, IP cameras, or personal computers;" and it is designed for use with DS2's 200 mbps Aitana chipset. According to DS2, the reference design facilitates connectivity through the following features:

MII for high speed applications like Ethernet to powerline adapter
UART interface allows for integration of service data
TDM / I2S for optimum use in native audio applications
Flexible power supply for the easiest integration with single, dual or triple supply GPIO for advanced features like One button security set-up that removes the need for PC configuration, and multi-color powerline link status indicator
According to DS2, the DE21P Embedded Powerline Modem facilitates a fully plug and play networking experience. The embedded web page in each Aitana chipset provides a simplified configuration of home networking devices, while the new processing capabilities include on-chip support for native TR-069 client software in the powerline modem to provide a standard solution for service providers to manage their customers' home networks. The DE21P has managed queues with multiple priority levels and strict bandwidth and latency guarantees. It supports the full mix of different types of service like Data, VoIP, IPTV or Video on Demand on the same network, and each DE21P node ensures that each traffic stream is allocated its required network resources.

Industry: UPA to Host Plug-test in Valencia Spain

The Universal Powerline Association (UPA) announced that it will hold a two-day official "plug-test" and certification program event on June 25-26 in Valencia, Spain, during its UPA Powerline Interop 2008.

"The BPL Access and In-Building BPL markets are experiencing unprecedented growth, and as such, the industry requires comprehensive compliance and interoperability programs to ensure interoperability between Powerline products from different vendors and compatibility with existing Powerline products," said Brian Donnelly, Chairman, UPA. "With over 4.5 million UPA chipsets sold and in use globally and given the UPA's undisputed technology leadership in the BPL Access and In-Building markets, the UPA has again taken the lead in offering the first Powerline certification program for these markets.

Utilities, operators, system integrators and others now have a guarantee for the success of their large scale deployments due to the UPA's rigorous testing process to verify performance, coverage, coexistence, and interoperability of UPA products.

The UPA is inviting product developers to register their UPA based product for participation in the compliance and interoperability Plugtest by 18th June with the UPA Secretariat's office. The certification event hosted by the UPA will take place at the test laboratories of the Polytechnic University, Valencia, Spain and the certification process will be overseen by experts from the Polytechnic Innovation Centre (CPI) and the international test house, ITACA. The UPA will publish a list of its certified products on the UPA website to assist utilities, operators, system integrators and others in their vendor selection. For more information, contact the UPLC or UPA.

CenterPoint/Oncor Submit Plans to Texas PUC
for Advanced Metering

CenterPoint Energy and Oncor Electric Delivery have filed proposals with the Texas Public Utility Commission seeking cost recovery for their advanced metering projects. CenterPoint plans to deploy 250,000 Itron Open Way interactive meters over a three year period and is proposing to recover its costs through two separate surcharges that would be incurred by retail electric providers (REP). The first charge would be a monthly infrastructure charge for eight years based on usage, estimated to be about $1.75 per month for each REP customer, based on usage of 1,000 Kwh. The second charge of about $4.75 per month would be billed to REPs for each interactive meter the company installs for that REP's customers. That charge would continue for five years after the meter is installed. Oncor asked the PUC for a surcharge of $2.35/month for 11 years on residential bills to pay for the meters, communications and support systems, low-income assistance and an education campaign. Oncor's plan involves the deployment of 3 million meters from Landis+Gyr over four-years. Both CenterPoint and Oncor are waiting until the PUC approves their plans before moving forward with deployment. A PUC decision could take months. In the meantime, the utilities are working to educate the public on the benefits of AMI, which will allow customers to control their electric bills as well as help utilities provide more reliable electric and gas service.

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About UPLC The United Power Line Council (UPLC) is an alliance of electric utilities, building owners and technology companies working together to drive the development of broadband over power line (BPL) - broadband services over the existing distribution electrical grid and in-home electrical wiring -in a manner that helps utilities and their partners in North America. The UPLC's efforts are focused in three strategic areas: market awareness, regulatory and legislative advocacy, and technical operability. For more information about becoming a member, visit: www.uplc.org.

United Power Line Council, 1901 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 20006.

UPLC PowerLine - May 20, 2008

kristy.weinshel — Wed, 28 May 2008 15:33:53 -0400

UPLC PowerLine

Unsubscribe | United Power Line Council | UPLC Membership

Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Volume 5 Issue 5	©2008 United Power Line Council

FCC: COURT AFFIRMS/REMANDS FCC'S BPL RULES

Last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia handed down at least a partial victory for the FCC concerning its Broadband over Power Line (BPL) rules. The court's decision in the ARRL's challenge of BPL rules affirmed the FCC on two substantive points, but remanded two other issues regarding the Commission's handling of the proceeding in which it adopted the rules. The court agreed with the FCC that it had the authority to authorize BPL on an unlicensed basis, and that it did not violate Section 301 of the Communications Act in the process, denying ARRL's claim that BPL should be licensed due to an interference-causing potential. Second, the court agreed with the FCC that it acted reasonably by rejecting ARRL's proposal to restrict BPL operations to the 30-50 MHz band.

However, the decision finds that the FCC violated the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) by failing to fully disclose internal studies on BPL interference, and by failing to reasonably explain its decision to adopt a 40 dB extrapolation factor instead of the 20 dB extrapolation factor proposed by ARRL. The case is remanded to the FCC to fully disclose the internal studies and to open them up for public notice and comment. Also, the FCC must provide a reasoned explanation in support of the 40 dB extrapolation factor. Following the decision, the FCC is expected to re-open its BPL proceeding to carry out the court's decision.

In the meantime, the FCC rules remain in effect because the court remanded them, rather than vacated them. As a practical matter, that means that BPL operators should continue to follow the rules, including the extrapolation factor. As a procedural matter, the FCC has 30 days (i.e. until May 25, 2008) in which to appeal the case, either to the DC Circuit Court or to the Supreme Court. If it does not appeal, it must act on the issues that were remanded by the Court, but it is under no deadline to do so.

CONGRESS: COMMITTEE PASSES ENERGY AND TAX EXTENDERS ACT OF 2008
WITH SMART METER PROVISIONS

Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee passed legislation entitled the "Energy and Tax Extenders Act of 2008" (H.R. 6049), which includes provisions for accelerated depreciation for smart electric meters and smart electric grid systems. Under current law, utilities are generally able to recover the cost of meters over the course of 20 years. The bill would cut the cost recovery time in half by allowing taxpayers to recover the cost of this property over a 10-year period. This could significantly encourage utilities to invest in and deploy smart meters and smart electric systems.

In order to qualify as a "smart electric meter", the meter must be able to 1) measure and record electricity usage data on a time-differentiated basis in at least 24 separate time segments per day, 2) provide for the exchange of information between supplier or provider and the customer's electric meter in support of time-based rates or other forms of demand response, 3) provide data to such supplier or provider so that the supplier or provider can provide energy usage information to customers electronically, and 4) provide net metering. In order to qualify as a smart grid electric system, the electronics and related equipment must be capable of 1) sensing, collecting, and monitoring data of or from all portions of a utility's electric distribution grid, 2) providing real-time, two-way communications to monitor or manage such grid, and 3) providing real time analysis of and event prediction based upon collected data that can be used to improve electric distribution system reliability, quality, and performance. For more information, please contact the UPLC Legal/Regulatory Department.

INDUSTRY: BPL GLOBAL EXPANDS BPL IN CARACAS

BPL Global, Ltd. announced this week that its BPL implementation in Caracas, Venezuela has been deemed successful by La Nueva Electricidad de Caracas (EDC), and that EDC will be expanding the deployment. The BPL deployment in Petare, a popular community in the East side of Caracas, has been operating in a trial mode serving numerous multi-dwelling units (MDU) and providing Internet service to low-income areas that are underserved. Reportedly, enrollment of the broadband-enabled buildings has exceeded the 20 percent goal for the pilot. This project also includes an elementary school with more than 1,000 students, enabling children access to the Internet. EDC is now expanding the served area in Petare to other primary schools and to Barrio Adentro, which provides medical assistance to the community.

"Our broadband solutions allow for much broader access to high-speed Internet," said Geraldo Guimaraes, executive director, Latin America for BPL Global. "We're excited about the economic and quality-of-life benefits these kinds of programs can bring to entire cities. The sophistication and versatility of our design makes it possible to work with a range of electrical infrastructures, operating environments and service requirements."

As part of the engagement, BPL Global:

Analyzed the Caracas electrical infrastructure, operating environment and service requirements presented by EDC.

Evaluated several best-of-breed BPL vendor solutions and designed the best solution based upon the requirements of EDC and the characteristics of the local electrical grid.

Managed equipment sourcing from ordering, importing and inventorying, to acceptance testing.

Trained network operation center employees and field technicians.

Provided ongoing back-up support to the EDC field team.

INDUSTRY: ONCOR BUYS BPL NETWORK IN DALLAS FROM CURRENT

Last month, Oncor Electric Delivery (Oncor) and Current Group, LLC (Current) announced that Oncor has agreed to purchase Current's existing Smart Grid network in Dallas, Texas as well as additional equipment for approximately $90 million. Current and Oncor expect to close the transaction in the second quarter of 2008. Under the agreement, Oncor acquired the rights to deploy BPL over one-sixth of its service territory, and it has the option of expanding the BPL network to up to one-half of its service territory, if it chooses to do so. Current will license its Smart Grid software systems and sell additional products to Oncor. Oncor will use the network for Smart Grid applications.

Jim Greer, Oncor Senior Vice President of Asset Management and Engineering explained that, "[t]hrough our use of the Smart Grid network, we have been able to detect distribution network issues before they impacted our customers," and that the "Smart Grid network has become an integral part of our operations by providing us new and valuable real-time information on our distribution network. As such, we determined we want to own the Smart Grid network."

Tom Casey, Current's President & CEO stated that "[t]hrough its Smart Grid leadership Oncor has validated the benefits of monitoring and managing the distribution of electricity through a widely deployed Smart Grid," and that "Current intends to use the proceeds of this transaction to continue to expand our deployments and enhance our Smart Grid portfolio."

INDUSTRY: MANASSAS SELLS BPL FRANCHISE TO GRIDPLEX

The City of Manassas has entered into an agreement with GridPlex, which will own and operate the BPL network previously owned and operated by ComTek. According to GridPlex's Web site, "GridPlex is leading the global Green revolution with innovative, patented energy and conservation products and services that increase electric system efficiency and reliability, can save billions for utilities and consumers, and will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions." GridPlex is headed by Lawrence Silverman, who has been involved in BPL for several years through his company, Broadband Energy Networks.

Mike Moon, Director of Utilities for the City of Manassas, stated that "[W]e are pleased to see [Smart Grid] being realized in the unique systems and services that GridPlex has developed and plans to use to enhance our citywide network. Not only will it help us, as a utility, to deliver better and more reliable electricity and water supplies to our community but we can foresee additional opportunities to use this network to promote energy and water conservation, help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide other customer services that will continue to position Manassas as a leader among 'green communities' around the nation." For more information about Manassas' BPL deployment and GridPlex, contact the UPLC Legal/Regulatory Department.

Was this Message Forwarded to you? If you received this email from a colleague and would like to add yourself to our mailing list, click here and provide your name, title, company, address, phone and fax #'s and email address.

Unsubscribe You are receiving this message because of your affiliation with UPLC. If you no longer wish to receive your mailings at this email address, please click here to unsubscribe.

About UPLC The United Power Line Council (UPLC) is an alliance of electric utilities, building owners and technology companies working together to drive the development of broadband over power line (BPL) - broadband services over the existing distribution electrical grid and in-home electrical wiring -in a manner that helps utilities and their partners in North America. The UPLC's efforts are focused in three strategic areas: market awareness, regulatory and legislative advocacy, and technical operability. For more information about becoming a member, visit: www.uplc.org.

United Power Line Council, 1901 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 20006.

UPLC PowerLine - April 16, 2008

kristy.weinshel — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:51:40 -0400

UPLC PowerLine

Unsubscribe | United Power Line Council | UPLC Membership

Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Volume 5 Issue 4	©2008 United Power Line Council

FCC: FCC BANS CARRIERS FROM MAKING EXCLUSIVE DEALS TO SERVE
RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS

In a decision adopted last month, the FCC banned carriers from entering into exclusive contracts to provide telecommunications services in residential apartment buildings and prohibited enforcement of existing contracts which contain exclusivity provisions. The FCC found that prohibiting such contracts serves the public interest and promotes competition. The Commission concluded that "opening the door to competitive telecommunications services will help provide consumers with increased access to and choice of such providers," and that it "provides regulatory parity between telecommunications and video service providers in the increasingly competitive market for bundled services." In 2007, the Commission banned exclusive deals for video services in residential apartment buildings, and in 2000, the Commission prohibited exclusive contracts for telecommunications services in commercial multi-tenant environments.

CONGRESS: FARMERS, MUNICIPALITIES PUSH FOR BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT

Rural and municipal broadband needs help. That was the message in Washington during two separate events over the last month. At a briefing organized by the agriculture interest group, National Grange, advocates for rural broadband legislation called for continued rural broadband development funding in the farm bill. From cattle farmers to libraries, "[t]here's broad interest," in rural broadband, said Grange Executive Director, Leroy Watson. The American Library Association supports rural broadband legislation, citing long lines for terminals in rural libraries. Meanwhile, farmers need broadband to check commodity prices and sell livestock via online auctions, according to the U.S. Cattlemen Association. Two stand-alone bills (S-1190 and HR-3919) promoting rural broadband were introduced last year, and were included as part of the farm bill. Advocates for the bills believe riding the farm bill will help get the broadband provisions enacted. Failing that, advocates will push other stand-alone bills, such as HR-5682 and HR-3627, which also are designed to promote rural broadband.

Meanwhile, municipal broadband proponents reassessed ways to promote deployment during a conference hosted by the National Association of Telecommunications Officers & Advisors (NATOA), which represents communications oversight within local government jurisdictions. The consensus among the panelists was that Municipal Wi-Fi is dead or on life-support, but that WiMAX and other technologies could make municipal broadband viable. However, panelists cited continued opposition from incumbent providers against competition from municipal entrants, which has derailed a community broadband bill introduced by House Telecom Subcommittee Chairman, Ed Market (D-MA). They also cited concerns on Wall Street about uncertain business plans and tighter credit markets. Jim Baller, who represents many municipalities, also decried the lack of a national broadband strategy. He said that "[w]e compete with the Chinas and the Brazils and the other low-cost countries that are taking our manufacturing;" and to compete, the U.S. must roll out fast fiber connections nationwide.

STATES: CALIFORNIA SMART GRID BILL PASSED WITH AMENDMENTS

The California Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee passed an amended version of a Smart Grid bill (SB-1438), which now requires the PUC, the State Energy Commission and the ISO to develop a definition of "Smart Grid" by January 15, 2009. The definition must “achieve certain goals and to develop standards and protocols for the deployment of smart grid technologies and services that will improve overall efficiency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of electrical system operations, planning, and maintenance.” Under the bill, utilities would be required to develop and submit by June 30, 2010 a Smart Grid deployment plan to the PUC for approval and recovery of "reasonable costs of deploying smart grid technologies and services from ratepayers." The bill would authorize Smart Grid technologies and services to be deployed in “an incremental manner"; and would require the PUC in consultation with the Energy Commission, the ISO, and the utilities, at each step of deployment, to "evaluate the impact of deployment on major initiatives and policies."

INDUSTRY: BPL AVAILABLE TO 130,000 HOMES IN DALLAS THROUGH DIRECTV DEAL
WITH CURRENT COMMUNICATIONS

According to the Dallas Morning News, Current Communications has enabled nearly 130,000 homes in part of Old East Dallas to receive BPL Internet access from DirecTV, which has just begun marketing to about half the homes. Current has been installing new advanced meters that enable customers to get BPL; but the roll out has been delayed indefinitely while Current waits for upgraded devices to be designed, approved and mass produced. Meanwhile, Current is in discussions with other potential partners to offer service in the Dallas area.

Packages now range from a 1.5 Mb connection that costs $20 a month to an 8 Mb connection that costs $35 a month. Special deals can push costs down to as little as $10 a month. DirecTV says those prices beat anything its competitors sell in the same area; and BPL offers additional features such as synchronous speeds that are ideal for sharing photos and movies. "The other advantage of BPL is the ease of installation. You just plug your modem directly into any power outlet," said Devin Gray, vice president of broadband for DirecTV. "If you want to move the modem from one room to another, you just pull it out of one plug and stick it into the next."

INDUSTRY: DUKE TO DEPLOY AMBIENT SMART-GRID EQUIPMENT IN $10.7M DEAL

Ambient Corporation announced this month that Duke Energy agreed to pay $10.7 million for Ambient Smart Grid equipment and technology to be deployed over portions of Duke’s electric power distribution grid. In addition, the terms of the contract require that Ambient and Duke "will both exert commercially reasonable efforts including, without limitation, the dedication of appropriate staff, facilities and equipment as well as access to facilities and sites to carry out the Deployment." In addition to the equipment to be supplied by Ambient, the company will be providing engineering and technical support as needed to design, support and assist in the completion of the deployment.

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About UPLC The United Power Line Council (UPLC) is an alliance of electric utilities, building owners and technology companies working together to drive the development of broadband over power line (BPL) - broadband services over the existing distribution electrical grid and in-home electrical wiring -in a manner that helps utilities and their partners in North America. The UPLC's efforts are focused in three strategic areas: market awareness, regulatory and legislative advocacy, and technical operability. For more information about becoming a member, visit: www.uplc.org.

United Power Line Council, 1901 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 20006.

UPLC PowerLine March 18, 2008

kristy.weinshel — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:04:48 -0400

UPLC PowerLine

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Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Volume 5 Issue 3	©2008 United Power Line Council

COURTS: NEBRASKA CAN'T COLLECT USF FROM VONAGE

In a decision that further limits state jurisdiction over VoIP services, a federal court held that the Nebraska Public Utility Commission (PUC) may not require Vonage to pay into the state's universal service fund (USF). The court found that the FCC has preempted state jurisdiction to regulate nomadic interconnected VoIP services like Vonage's. The decision was based on a 2004 FCC order saying the FCC, and not the states, should decide what regulations apply to Vonage. The court also said that its decision was consistent with Congress's intent to deregulate Internet services generally. The court also noted that as a practical matter, it is impossible to distinguish interstate VoIP traffic that is subject to federal jurisdiction from intrastate VoIP traffic. The Nebraska PUC had claimed that it could separate local from long distance VoIP traffic (and hence assess USF against the local traffic), based on a FCC decision in June 2006 which established a "safe harbor" under which 64.9% of VoIP traffic is subject to federal USF charges. Nebraska argued that the remainder could be subject to state USF charges. However, the district court said, "[t]he safe-harbor ruling does not negate the fact that there is no way to distinguish between interstate and intrastate [VoIP] service; nor does the adoption of safe harbor rules affect the characterization of VoIP service as an information service." The decision is expected to be appealed by the states which are concerned that VoIP will undermine state USF subsidies, even though VoIP is subject to federal USF charges. For more information, contact the UPLC Legal/Regulatory Department.

IEEE: BPL MAC/PHY GROUP DEFERS CONFIRMATION VOTE ON
ACCESS/IN-HOME/COEXISTENCE PROPOSALS

The IEEE's P1901 Working Group, which is developing standards for the MAC and PHY of Broadband over Power Line systems, decided to defer from voting on the confirmation of standards for Access and In-Home BPL systems that were proposed by HomePlug and Panasonic and adopted last year. Instead, the standards will be revised and drafts will be distributed in April. Moreover, a confirmation vote will be held at the July meeting on the distributed documents. These deadlines are important commitments to ensure that progress is made in the standards process. In addition, Panasonic went on record to state its willingness to merge the two MACs that are part of the current draft standard. It remains unclear whether HomePlug will also commit to merging the MACs; but the issue will be decided by their board soon. Still, HomePlug did indicate that it would permit representatives from the Access BPL industry to help provide input on the development of the revised draft standard. The Access BPL industry has proposed various features and functionalities to be incorporated into the draft standard in order to support Access BPL systems. But none of these features and functionalities have been incorporated into the draft standard yet. Access BPL companies hope that HomePlug/Panasonic will actually incorporate those features and functionalities, now that there is more transparency to the process.

In other developments: the P1901 group voted to adopt a coexistence proposal by CEPCA and Hi-Silicon, and to eliminate a coexistence proposal by CECPA and UPA. The coexistence proposal must still be confirmed, and it will be voted on at the July meeting. For more information on the IEEE P1901 MAC/PHY standards and the latest results from its meetings, contact the UPLC Legal/Regulatory Department.

INDUSTRY: XCEL ENERGY PICKS BOULDER, CO AS ITS
SMART GRID CITY

Xcel Energy announced last week that Boulder, CO will be its Smart Grid City. The announcement follows it's unveiling in January of a bold plan to use BPL and other technologies to enable advanced metering, distributed generation, and smart substations in a city with a population of approximately 100,000 over the next five years. Xcel is working with a Smart Grid Consortium on the project. Consortium members include Accenture, Current Group, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories and Ventyx.

With the city now selected, Xcel Energy and its Smart Grid Consortium will spend the next four weeks to six weeks studying the city's electricity infrastructure to develop a scope and preliminary design plan for implementing the changes. Work would start soon after. The first phase of the Smart Grid City is expected to be in place by as early as August 2008, with implementation throughout the city continuing through 2009 at which time the consortium expects to begin an initial assessment of the technologies. After initial implementation, Xcel Energy will use the results to talk with state, federal and regulatory officials about a larger deployment throughout the company's eight-state service territory. Xcel Energy also unveiled a Smart Grid Consortium Web site at www.xcelenergy.com/smartgrid, which has graphics and educational materials explaining its Smart Grid vision.

INDUSTRY: PRINCETON COMMERCIAL BPL DEPLOYMENT ALMOST COMPLETE

By the end of March, the city of Princeton, IL should complete its commercial BPL deployment, according to the Journal Star. The city began installing hardware in late 2005 to provide Internet service to a limited number of residents to test the technology and began a full-scale roll-out in 2006.

Jason Bird, superintendent of Princeton's electric department, said the final quadrant of the city should be covered by the end of the month. "We'll have the entire town covered where if someone wanted service, we'd be able to hook it up right away or within a day," Bird said.

Bird added that, so far, interference fears have not been realized. When the city first announced that it intended to install the largely experimental technology, some amateur radio operators complained that interference from service could disrupt radio signals. An inquiry from the FCC ensued, but that resulted in regulatory approval of equipment modifications meant to prevent interference that was fiercely contested. More than a year later, Bird says no radio operators have complained.

The BPL service relies on 22 miles of fiber optic cable laid around Princeton to deliver Internet to transmitters that carry the signal over power lines to businesses and private residences with speeds similar to that of DSL service but slower than advertised data transfer rates for broadband service through cable companies.

While the city's electric department has installed and maintained the hardware for the system, it contracts with Connecting Point in Peru to provide Internet service and software and handle other day-to-day business matters. Princeton residents currently pay $24.99 per month, and a portion of those charges goes the city.

Steve Brust, vice president of Connecting Point, said more than 100 customers have signed on for BPL in Princeton and use it for the same purposes that customers of other Internet service providers use high-speed connections. "People are using it for telephone service, for gaming, for all different things," he said.

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About UPLC The United Power Line Council (UPLC) is an alliance of electric utilities, building owners and technology companies working together to drive the development of broadband over power line (BPL) - broadband services over the existing distribution electrical grid and in-home electrical wiring -in a manner that helps utilities and their partners in North America. The UPLC's efforts are focused in three strategic areas: market awareness, regulatory and legislative advocacy, and technical operability. For more information about becoming a member, visit: www.uplc.org.

United Power Line Council, 1901 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 20006.

UPLC PowerLine 2-19-08

kristy.weinshel — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:06:20 -0500

UPLC PowerLine

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Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Volume 5 Issue 2	©2008 United Power Line Council

CONGRESS: NET NEUTRALITY BILL WOULD REQUIRE FCC STUDY

House Telecommunications Committee Chairman, Edward Markey (D-Mass.), and Rep. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.) have introduced a bill entitled the Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2008, which requires the FCC to study Internet competition issues over the next year and to conduct at least eight "public broadband summits."

The preamble to the bill states that maintaining the freedom to use broadband networks for lawful purposes is the policy of the United States, but the bill itself does not require the FCC to adopt net neutrality regulations. Instead, it must file a report due 90 days after holding the last broadband summit. Some observers expressed doubts about the bills prospects in an election year. "In Washington, D.C., in 2008, everything is about 2009," said Blair Levin, managing director of Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., Inc. "If you're thinking about momentum a lot of it has to do with what happens in November."

FEDERAL: NTIA REPORT ASSESS BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT IN 2007

Recently, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released a report entitled, "Networked Nation Broadband in America, 2007" underlining the significant growth of broadband services in the United States. According to the report, the Administration's technology, regulatory and fiscal policies have been the impetus for US investment in the broadband market and have contributed directly to the increased accessibility of broadband services. It maintains that these policies have encouraged competition between different providers and technologies, (BPL, cable, fiber optic, satellite, fixed and mobile wireless, etc) resulting in decreasing prices and a wider range of services. The mere mention of BPL in the report drew the ire of the ARRL, which demanded a retraction by NTIA. For a copy of the report, go to www.ntia.doc.gov.

INDUSTRY: RELIANT ENERGY ANNOUNCES SUCCESSFUL ENERGY SAVER PILOT PROGRAM USING BPL

Reliant Energy announced the successful installation and testing of the first demand-response system at a Dallas/Fort Worth residence. This builds on the company’s Houston-based tests that were successful late last year. The system uses data collected from smart meters, coupled with Broadband over Power Line technology, to communicate with and control Web-programmable thermostats and high-usage appliances in the home. During times of high electricity usage across the state, the system can be used to increase thermostat settings by a few degrees or cycle off air conditioning systems for short periods of time.

"Reducing peak demand delays the need for costly new power plants, conserves resources and, ultimately, helps moderate price," said Glen Stancil, Reliant Energy's vice president of Smart Energy research and development. "This is the first of a number of new products and services we plan to launch this year that will give customers better control and more insight into how they use energy."

Reliant currently is in the process of signing up customers in Houston for the program, and it will contact customers in Dallas who have smart meters that enable the demand-response applications. Reliant's program, called the Energy Saver Partner, offers customers a free Web-controlled, programmable thermostat (a $250 value), a free 25-point air conditioning inspection (a $75 value), an enrollment bonus and monthly bill credits from May through September.

Reliant's pilot is part of a larger study sponsored by the Center for the Commercialization of Electric Technologies (CCET) to develop demand-response programs. Findings from the CCET pilot will be shared with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and retail providers to enable new market tools and demand-response programs.

The CCET is an organization of 19 Texas electric and high-tech companies joined by five universities in a collaborative effort to modernize the Texas electric system. CCET's purpose is to encourage private-sector initiatives that promote growth in high-quality employment, and to lead to scientific breakthroughs in the operation of the Texas electric system.

The state's leading electric market participants have begun a two-year study to assess the technology in Houston and in Dallas. Austin Energy is coordinating results of its own demand response program in Austin. Participants in the Dallas pilot include Oncor, Reliant Energy, TXU Energy, Direct Energy, Current Group LLC and Corporate Systems Engineering. AEP Texas is participating financially in the project. For more information, contact the UPLC Legal/Regulatory Department.

INDUSTRY: UPLC UPCOMING WEBINAR

UPLC is hosting an upcoming Webinar called Numbering & VoIP Telephony over BPL on February 27, 2008 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. This Webinar will cover everything you need to know about numbering and VoIP Telephony over BPL! Starting with Numbering 101, the presentation will cover where the numbers come from, how they are administered and the portability issues associated with the numbers. The Webinar also will discuss how current VoIP and wholesale arrangement works as well as some of the common issues associated with the arrangement. Finally, the session will wrap up by reviewing new industry processes that better facilitate wholesale arrangements for VoIP, MVNO, etc. There will be time for questions and answers at the end. We hope you will join us for this informative Webinar. To register, click here. If you have any problems registering, contact meetings@utc.org.

Was this Message Forwarded to you? If you received this email from a colleague and would like to add yourself to our mailing list, click here and provide your name, title, company, address, phone and fax #'s and email address.

Unsubscribe You are receiving this message because of your affiliation with UPLC. If you no longer wish to receive your mailings at this email address, please click here to unsubscribe.

About UPLC The United Power Line Council (UPLC) is an alliance of electric utilities, building owners and technology companies working together to drive the development of broadband over power line (BPL) - broadband services over the existing distribution electrical grid and in-home electrical wiring -in a manner that helps utilities and their partners in North America. The UPLC's efforts are focused in three strategic areas: market awareness, regulatory and legislative advocacy, and technical operability. For more information about becoming a member, visit: www.uplc.org.

United Power Line Council, 1901 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 20006.