Rural Broadband
Economic and Community Development

Introduction--Why BPL and wireless broadband?

Now that broadband Internet service can be made available through ordinary wall outlets, communities can leverage their power grid in ways previously unheard of. In addition to providing high-speed Internet, the technology used to provide broadband over power lines also enables utilities to offer new services to customers and create new sources of revenue.

Broadband Horizons works with communities to develop revenue-generating arrangements that make the highest and best use of their existing infrastructure. In addition to dollars, these partnerships benefits to communities, utilities, and consumers.

Benefits to communities

Attracting new industry and businesses, which expect and demand high-speed Internet access
New job opportunities, encouraging young people to remain in the community upon completion of their education
Local control of availability, accessibility, and reliability of high-speed Internet services
Increased efficiency in the use of utility resources by implementing cost saving measures

Benefits to utilities

Implementing BPL technology effectively transforms an existing power grid into a two-way, high-speed data communications network. This capability offers utilities significant opportunities to reduce internal costs and generate incremental revenues. Realizing these benefits requires four key components:

Network – Enables information and controls to communicate with customers and remote assets
Hardware – Smart Meters and controllers provide enhanced information and action
Software – Software manages and analyzes enhanced information to evaluate and act on benefits
Internal Processes – Internal process must be adapted to take advantage of new technologies

The availability of Broadband services is critical to the survival of rural America.
Community Development    Jobs and Economic Growth      Resident Retention

The Broadband market continues to grow, currently 45% growth per year in 2002.

DSL lines increased from 5.1million to 7.7 million lines      Cable Modem lines 9.2 million to 13.7 million lines      Over 60% of Americans do not have a broadband connection

The Internet is rapidly moving in a direction that will make high-speed connections critical to business success.

As dial-up connections become more inadequate, rural areas will depend on broadband to maintain community vitality.

Broadband Horizons is committed to bringing High Speed Internet Access to Rural America!