I.B.M. Delivers Rural Broadband Over Power Lines

With $7 billion of government money on the line, it’s no surprise that all kinds of companies are claiming they can wire the most isolated ranchers and mountaintop recluses with broadband Internet service.

On Thursday, I.B.M. piped up to say that it is working with rural electric cooperatives to offer high-speed Internet service, delivered over power lines.

Technology to send broadband over power lines has been around for several years, but it typically hasn’t been able to offer enough capacity at a low enough price to beat service from cable and phone companies.

But with government subsidies, the approach is starting to be deployed in areas that don’t have access to other forms of broadband.

By Saul Hansell

Full Story: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/19/ibm-delivers-rural-broadband-over-power-lines/?hp

(Thanks to Marcy Allen for passing this along. Russ)