Coming to a home or office near you could be an electric Internet: high-speed Web access via ubiquitous power lines, of all things, making every electrical outlet an always-on Web connection. If it sounds shocking, consider this: St. Louis-based Ameren Corp. and other utilities already are testing the technology, and many consider it increasingly viable. This truly plug-and-play technology, if proved safe, has the blessings of federal regulators looking to bolster broadband competition, lower consumer prices and bridge the digital divide in rural areas. Because virtually every building has a power outlet, it “could simply blow the doors off the provision of broadband,” Federal Communications Commission chairman Michael Powell said last month. For competition’s sake, “absolutely, we would applaud it,” says Edmond Thomas, chief of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology. Full Story
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