The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has officially declared their support for the new "access broadband over power line" service, or Access BPL initiative.
CEA believes that adopting these proposed rules permitting Access BPL will advance the deployment and adoption of broadband.
In its comments, CEA noted that market-driven facilities-based competition is a key element in stimulating consumer adoption of broadband.
CEA wrote, “Access BPL advances broadband adoption by providing an alternative service provider to consumers. Power lines reach virtually every community, urban and rural, homes and businesses, churches and schools. Because of this reach, Access BPL has great potential to provide ‘last mile’ broadband service nationwide. In addition to providing consumers more choice in broadband service providers, it would also work to bridge the digital divide by supplying service to rural communities currently not serviced by other providers.”
“We salute the efforts of the Chairman Powell and the Commission in permitting Access BPL,” stated CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro. “Deployment of Access BPL will bring us one step closer to President Bush’s goal of universal broadband deployment by 2007.”
