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Cincinnati Gets Broadband Over Power Lines

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the zap dept.

kotj.mf writes "According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati-area electric utility Cinergy has become the first electric utility in the country to offer broadband over power lines. There's also a press release. At $29.95/month for 1 Mb/s both upstream and down, it's only a few bucks more than the local dialup providers. Can we expect the power companies to start giving Cable and DSL providers a run for their money? Finally, my town gets AHEAD of the times, for once."

29 of 609 comments (clear)

  1. And in other news... by SargeZT · · Score: 4, Funny

    Cincinatti is famous for something other than WKRP.

    --
    And why did you staple the trout to the RAM?
    1. Re:And in other news... by El · · Score: 4, Funny

      Cincinatti is famous for something other than WKRP. And that would be what? Having their municpal airport located in another state?

      --

      "Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney

    2. Re:And in other news... by Mr.+Piddle · · Score: 5, Funny


      If they could deliver spaghetti chili via power lines, then I'd be impressed! Broadband is so passe.

      --
      Vote in November. You won't regret it.
    3. Re:And in other news... by antic · · Score: 5, Funny


      Micropayments for hookers?

      Dude, speak for yourself...

      --
      'Thats they exact same thing a banana wrench monkey.'
    4. Re:And in other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Still quite dumb. He broke at least 3 of the unwritten rules of politics.

      1) Don't use hookers while holding office.
      2) If breaking rule 1, don't use a check.
      3) If breaking rule 2, make sure the check won't bounce. (That's how he got caught.)

    5. Re:And in other news... by Alien+Being · · Score: 2, Funny

      I'm sorry to break it to you, Herb. The lovely Jennifer is actually a transsexual.

  2. Tap in... by SirChris · · Score: 5, Funny

    I want to see the first guy to to try tap into that broadband illegally....bzzzp!

  3. I can't wait! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I can't wait! I'm going to go tear a lamp cord off the lamp, fray the wires, and jam them into my modem port. Pretty soon I'll be surfing the way Al Gore meant us to!

    signed, Les Nessman.

    1. Re:I can't wait! by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 3, Funny

      I can't wait! I'm going to go tear a lamp cord off the lamp, fray the wires, and jam them into my modem port.

      You can try it today : just solder a RJ-11 on your lamp cord and plug it to the modem. You'll get a really hot internet connection in no time flat!

      Pretty soon I'll be surfing the way Al Gore meant us to!

      Yes, the above method will allow you to do exactly that.

      --
      "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
  4. Sounds ok on the surface...but by ScottGant · · Score: 5, Funny

    I know that broadband over power lines sounds nice, but what if you lose power? How ya gonna surf the....oh...um...nevermind.

    --

    "Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it." - John Lennon.
    1. Re:Sounds ok on the surface...but by jdreed1024 · · Score: 4, Funny
      I know that broadband over power lines sounds nice, but what if you lose power? How ya gonna surf the....oh...um...nevermind.

      Doesn't bother me, I have a UPS, so my computer stays on during brief power outages. And now that the Internet comes over power lines, I'll have connectivity from my UPS too! I'm still jealous of my friend who's got a generator, though. He can generate his own power, and now he can generate his own Internet! Wish I could do that...

      --
      There is no sig, there is only Zuul.
    2. Re:Sounds ok on the surface...but by VoraciousGorak · · Score: 2, Funny

      Doesn't bother me, I have a UPS, so my computer stays on during brief power outages. And now that the Internet comes over power lines, I'll have connectivity from my UPS too! I'm still jealous of my friend who's got a generator, though. He can generate his own power, and now he can generate his own Internet! Wish I could do that...

      When the power goes out, it usually means a problem with something further up the line than a simple wall outlet. Unless you found a way to store the Internet in its entirely in your UPS! Wish I could store the Internet in my UPS.

  5. Re: can we expect... by DarkHand · · Score: 2, Funny

    Ham Radio will interfere with it severely, and there won't be a damn thing the provider can do because it's under FCC part 15, which must accept any harmful interference, especially from PROPERLY LICENSED services.

    If you live in the Cincinatti area and have a HAM license, it's time to find some major power lines and start transmitting like your life depended on it!

  6. ZZZZZAP. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Time for a industrial grade surge protector.

  7. I don't trust companies by tcd004 · · Score: 2, Funny

    using technology that hasn't already been tested and proven through 40 years of rigorous use.

    That's why I use Not@Home cable service.

    tcd004

  8. uncap your connection! by happyfrogcow · · Score: 5, Funny

    Throw away your surge protectors for more bandwidth! Install lightening rods to increase your chances of power surges! ;)

  9. Re: can we expect... by System.out.println() · · Score: 3, Funny

    I thought the PlayStation was the "fat nerd's PlayStation"?

    --
    I've got more mod points and GMail invi
  10. A report from Cincinatti by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is pretty bad. I was using my electric toothbrush after I had my house wired for electric internet. I noticed this bad taste, and all of a sudden, I'd somehow downloaded some porn spam into my mouth. Yeecchhhhhh.

  11. UPS boxes! by LuxFX · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now all they need to do is invent a UPS box that can store 30 minutes of surfing for backup when the power goes out....

    --
    Punctanym: alternate spelling of words using punctuation or numerals in place of some or all of its letters; see 'leet'
  12. You insensitive clods by NotQuiteReal · · Score: 5, Funny
    I just finished getting off the grid by putting in $15,000 of Solar Power!

    Oh well, I guess I will be selling excess bandwidth back to the power company along with any extra power.

    When do these winter clouds move out?

    --
    This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
  13. Re:bad URL by FooAtWFU · · Score: 5, Funny
    Does this mean that whenever we slashdot a server hosted on broadband-over-powerlines, there will be a big blackout? Wow! I can hardly wait!

    That was a joke, son.

    --
    The World Wide Web is dying. Soon, we shall have only the Internet.
  14. I'm from California by Texas+Rose+on+Lava+L · · Score: 4, Funny

    PG&E has enough trouble delivering electricity over the power lines, let alone internet access.

    Speaking of which, wasn't Cincinnati one of the cities that got hit by the east coast blackout?

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    Rank Presidents by th

  15. So.... by Dark+Lord+Seth · · Score: 2, Funny

    If I buy a UPS, will it function as a transparant cache?

    --
    Hate me!
  16. In my neck of the woods by wildsurf · · Score: 2, Funny

    There's a project underway in my community to replace the septic tanks with something more modern.

    I keep suggesting that we do a wireless sewer, but no one ever listens.

    Then again, I wonder if sewer gas conducts electricity? Could be onto something... But seriously, we may very well be laying down fiber optic cable alongside the sewer as it's installed. Just as long as both pipes end up with enough bandwidth...

    --
    Weeks of coding saves hours of planning.
  17. Re:Will this work in apartment buildings? by illuminata · · Score: 3, Funny

    Who needs an internet connection if you have a bimbo around?

    Well, pending that she's not as old as her hairdryer...

    --


    Until Slashdot fixes the funny modifier, use insightful or interesting. The poster knows your intentions.
  18. Re:And you have no brain to think with... by quonsar · · Score: 3, Funny

    you may also climb off your asspole and note that the use of quote marks around anachronistic was intentional.

    --

    Sacred cows make the best burgers.

  19. Re:What's so special about this? by morcheeba · · Score: 2, Funny

    The only line going into someones house that's more pervasive than the phone line are power lines

    Not true: Telephone service goes to 92.1% of U.S. households. Plumbing goes to
    >99% of U.S. households.

    Not that I'm proposing IP-over-water-pipes or anything...

    --
    HIV Crosses Species Barrier... into Muppets
  20. Re:What's so special about this? by super+awesome · · Score: 2, Funny

    jumping ship from your current provider, to ...a current provider

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    m y k a r m a i s m o r e p o s i t i v e t h a n y o u r s.
  21. Re:What's so special about this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny
    Not that I'm proposing IP-over-water-pipes or anything...

    Hate to see that DoS attack.