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Armonk, NY, and Huntsville, AL, Nov. 13, 2008 -- IBM and International Broadband Electric Communications Inc. (IBEC) announced the signing of a $9.6 million agreement to have IBM install Broadband over Power Line (BPL) networks at electric cooperatives throughout the eastern US. IBEC will focus on providing broadband services to underserved residents in rural America.
Currently, there are over 900 electric cooperatives in the United States providing 45 percent of the total electric grid and covering 75 percent of the land mass in the U.S. BPL leverages an existing asset, the power lines, to deploy broadband access. IBM will provide overall project management, oversight, and training of the line crews who will be installing the BPL equipment. IBEC will provide the BPL technology and equipment and serve as the internet service provider (ISP) to these rural residents.
While focusing initially on bringing broadband Internet services to rural America, the new service is expected to also enhance the ability of electric utilities to monitor, manage, and control the reliability of their electric grid and further optimize the capabilities of IBEC as well as rural electric utilities in broadening the offerings available to consumers.
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