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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DECEMBER 10, 2004
HBC, RPU Update Broadband Testing Schedule
ROCHESTER, Minn—Rochester Public Utilities
(RPU) and Hiawatha Broadband Communications,
Inc. (HBC) will extend into early 2005 Phase
1 of the broadband over power lines (BPL) technology
trial. This differs from plans previously announced,
which had the test partners buttoning up Phase
1 by mid-October 2004 and then completing the
necessary analyses to move to a wider market
trial in early 2005.
By extending the schedule, RPU and HBC will
have the opportunity to investigate a second
vendor that may offer a more competitively priced
product and more mature technology.
“It is prudent to look at new information,
this new vendor, for economic and technological
reasons,” said Dan Sturm, RPU supervisor
of technical services and BPL project co-leader.
The new schedule, and the new vendor, may eliminate
the need for a wider market trial or Phase 2.
“This vendor has a model that’s
been validated in several communities, which
may make a market test unnecessary,” said
Sturm.
In the first quarter of 2005, if all goes as
planned, HBC and RPU will perform a proof-of-concept
analysis and review the new vendor’s equipment.
Concurrently, HBC will perform a business case
analysis for a wide-scale commercial offering.
RPU will analyze the economics of leasing its
infrastructure to a service provider interested
in offering BPL services to customers. It is
still too early to speculate on a schedule for
a possible wide-scale commercial offering of
BPL services in Rochester.
By participating in this test, RPU hopes to
gain information on ways to better communicate
directly with customers via power lines to their
electric meters, maximize existing infrastructure
like power lines, and develop a new revenue
stream.
“Investigating the potential to directly
communicate with customer meters is exciting.
This test will help us prepare for the industry
trend of providing and using real-time information,”
said Mike Smith, RPU key account manager and
BPL project co-leader.
HBC is interested in testing new methods of
delivering telecommunications services that
utilize infrastructure that is already in place.
The Winona-based company is using new technologies
to deliver video services over telephone infrastructure
and also is testing wireless delivery, president,
Gary Evans said “so looking at broadband
power line technology was a next logical step.
To date, the results of the test are very promising.”
“Equipment used in the first phase of
the trial has worked reasonably well,”
said Dan Pecarina, HBC vice president for technical
operations. “But equipment made by the
new vendor seems, at least upon casual inspection,
to be better and less costly. If a more extensive
review proves that is the case, we will be very
happy.”
HBC began in 1992 as Luminet, a not-for-profit
project that utilized a leased fiber-optic network
to connect the community’s educational
institutions for the purpose of extending the
reach of teaching and learning. Today, HBC is
a privately held full-service telecommunications
company that delivers nearly 20,000 services
to customers in Winona and St. Charles. In addition,
HBC in October announced a decision to construct
a network in Wabasha.
HBC offers cable television, telephone and internet
services. More than 50 percent of HBC stock
is owned by Winona area not-for-profit institutions,
including public and private schools and universities,
and the Winona Community Foundation. HBC is
committed to enhancing and enriching the lives
of those it serves. In carrying out its mission,
HBC pledges to its customers access to superior
advanced communications and unparalleled personal
service.
As the municipal utility of Rochester, Minn.,
for more than 110 years, RPU provides high-quality
and reliable electricity to over 42,000 customers.
Water customers number more than 31,000. RPU
continually investigates innovative technologies
to help customers realize the best value from
the services they receive. Current initiatives
include fuel cell research and a wind power
offering.
HBC Contact:
Dan Pecarina
58 Johnson Street, Winona, MN 55987
507-474-5805
dan.pecarina@hbci.com |
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