Source : Cablecaster

SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. - In what might be the first commercial deployment of its kind in Canada, the Public Utilities Commission in this northern Ontario town has deployed broadband connectivity over the city's power lines.

Sault Ste. Marie's PUC Telecom division recently deployed new technology which now allows the utility and other service providers to use existing power line infrastructures to provide high-speed data transport and enhanced utility services. The company is using Amperion (Andover, MA) Broadband over Power Line (BPL) technology.

As well, PUC Telecom and Amperion have struck an agreement to work with other Canadian utilities to roll out high speed broadband service using the Amperion Connect platform. While there are numerous BPL deployments across the United States and around the world, this is the first in the Canadian market.

PUC Telecom is jumping into local competition to high-speed Internet markets that have so far been dominated by national cable and telecom companies. "PUC Telecom will be able to turn Sault Ste. Marie into one citywide Hot Spot," says the press release.

Amperion's so-called PowerWiFi technology is a standards-based technology that links the power line network to customers via an 802.11b connection. The 802.11 device located at the premise can link computer/computers directly to an Ethernet LAN, to premise-based wireless networks, or to in-home PLC using Homeplug technology.

"We will quickly move from a market trial to commercial deployments in selected residential and business areas in Sault Ste. Marie," said Martin Wyant, general manager of PUC Telecom.

For more information, go to www.amperion.com.

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