Is Broadband Over Power Lines a Smart Idea?

摘要

Broadband is the dream challenge of the early twenty-first century. Like electricity a century ago, which fueled the telecommunications-and information-based economies of the twentieth century, broadband is the foundation for economic growth, global competitiveness, and a better way of life. Broadband enables new innovation that unlocks new opportunities. It will change how we educate our children, deliver health care, manage the energy grid, and access, organize, and disseminate knowledge. The number of Americans who have broadband at home has grown from 8 million in 2000 to over 88 million households.1 Increasingly capable fixed and mobile networks allow Americans to access a growing number of valuable applications through innovative devices. At present, almost all homes in dense-population areas are connected to the Internet via the main cable and WiFi providers.