Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) has seen its share of fits and starts. At times it seems like the ‘little broadband engine that could,’ reviving itself just when it disappeared off the radar screen. But recent news makes you wonder whether it’s done for good.
BroadbandReports.com points out that the poster child for BPL, Manassas, Virginia is seriously considering shutting down its BPL network. “I think we need to get out of BPL forthwith,” Manassas Councilman Jonathan L. Way is quoted as saying by InsideNova.com. “It’s not a good product. The whole business is not financially sound and it never has been.” Not exactly a ringing endorsement.
Manassas is considering pulling the plug on the nation’s most high profile BPL experiment. InsideNova.com reports the municipality only has 600 residents subscribing to the Manassas BPL network, and the city is losing over $150K, on average, per year.
BPL has had some recent high profile interest, including a deployment managed by IBM. But if the Manassas example is an accurate indicator of BPL’s promise, you wonder how long it can truly be taken seriously.
