Texas - TXU plans high-speed Internet-over-powerlines to 2 million customers

Press Release - TXU Corp and Current Communications ^ | December 19, 2005

[GeronL]

TXU has been raising its rate by large margins, we need some real competition and free market not this phony competition we have now!!

[Psycho_Bunny]

Nothing's as cool as your email ending up in someone's fridge and cruising for porn on your neighbors toaster.

[D-fendr]

I'm a TXU customer and I'll bet dollars to donuts this ain't comin to my neighborhood.

[Jigsaw John]

I'm pretty happy. 3.0 DSL connection by Verizon here in California. For $29. a month, and this is running 4 computers + WiFI laptop.

Hard to beat this for a price of $29. a month.

[Dallas59]

How much?

[Knitebane]

Have they figured out how not to walk all over Ham radio with this?

[ChefKeith]

TXU SUCKS!!! Bad customer service and over priced.

But this could give a whole new meaning to ZOT...

[ChefKeith]

With TXU you probly don't want to know.

[HAL9000]

According to this FAQ - http://www.currentgroup.com/news/releases/TXU-CURRENT%20FAQ.pdf

Q: What’s the story with CURRENT’s BPL solution and amateur radio spectrum?

A: CURRENT’s Cincinnati network is the largest BPL deployment in the United States, and the company operates several other BPL systems as well, but has never had an interference complaint by a spectrum license holder. CURRENT has carefully managed its development efforts to avoid causing interference with all licensed radio systems, amateur radio included; however, the company realizes that this is a problem for other BPL solutions. The Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) – the chief ham radio trade group – has publicly recognized that CURRENT’s technology is “benign” and does not create interference issues.

[HAL9000]

This could have some interesting applications. Imagine every light switch and electrical appliance in your house having an Internet address.

[HAL9000]

The company providing the technology - CURRENT Communications Group - has some major backers, including Google and Liberty Media.

[Knitebane]

This could have some interesting applications. Imagine every light switch and electrical appliance in your house having an Internet address.

After helping clean up after Slammer, Nachi and Welchia, I'm not so sure that's a very good idea.

[Knitebane]

Excellent. One wire to the house.

IP over power. Voice over IP.

I like it.

It does seem to concentrate an awful lot of infrastructure in one market, though.

[Rocky]

Fascinating, and somewhat eerie. Electric power and communications tied together. Greater opportunities for automated control using existing power lines to smart electrical switches and appliances. And, it would seem, greater opportunities for snooping, hacking, and government control. Will it result in convenience or further erosion of privacy and liberty?

[D-fendr]

I'm thinking I'll still be wanting a power company that works well as a power company; and a cell phone that works well as a phone.

[prisoner6]

It's not just HAM radio...kiss justabout all AM radio good-bye. There's also lots of other interference into appliances indcluding health related devices, monitors etcetera.

prisoner6

[de Buillion]

"I'm thinking I'll still be wanting a power company that works well as a power company; and a cell phone that works well as a phone. "

I've had TXU for about 19 years. I have never had a better electrical service provider. I did recently switch to another "billing entity" , but my power still comes from TXU. They are GREAT.

[D-fendr]

I sat in the cold and dark for a week last year.

TXU is so on my s-list.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

....cruising for porn on your neighbors toaster.

Whoa!! That sounds kinky.