July 15, 2004
Blanco-based Broadband Horizons has launched broadband over power lines in Blanco, Burnet and Weimar, making it the first company in Texas to offer the new technology.
Pilot projects were launched in mid-June in those three cities, and Broadband Horizons now plans to bring BPL to more than 50 other communities in Texas and other states over the next several years.
According to Brenda Thompson, a spokeswoman for the company, the company does not intend to bring its service to Austin for now.
"There are no plans to be in Austin yet. The entry strategy has been to bring it to smaller, more rural communities," she says. "But they're working on getting funding for an expansion, and it's growing very quickly."
BPL technology is similar to other types of broadband Internet access, except BPL connects over existing power lines. Users can plug a small modem into any electrical outlet and a computer into the modem to get an online connection.
A pricing plan for the service has not been released.
Texas Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, who is also the chairman of the Texas Senate Committee on Business and Commerce, says he thinks the BPL service can benefit many Texas cities and counties.
"Providing affordable, reliable wireless broadband service over power lines is a promising new technology," he says. "It is especially important to the under-served areas of rural Texas, where high-speed Internet service is not readily available."
Texas is now one of several states that have implemented the new technology. Others include Virginia, Indiana and Kentucky.
© 2004 American City Business Journals Inc.
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