Broadband Delivered Via Power Lines?

There has been a lot of publicity surrounding Google and Earthlink’s efforts to bring municipal WiFi to the city of San Francisco. With both the political and logistical snags that the companies have encountered along the way, however, should we start looking for an alternative method for delivering broadband to the masses?

Don’t get me wrong; I’m all in favor of MuniFi. Companies like Earthlink are truly visionary, in my opinion, for having the drive to pursue such an undertaking.

The problem, however, seems to lie in that of political opposition and logistical setup. While there’s no cure for politics, there could be a way to get around the logistical obstacles that have held back widespread MuniFi adoption…

Power lines.

Think about this; our power lines offer an already existing infrastructure within which to operate, greatly reducing the cost and time it would take to create entirely new pathways by scratch. Also, power lines are accessible to both urban and rural areas, which means that Farmer Johnson won’t have to drive forty-five minutes into the city to check his e-mail.

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