Puerto Rico Approves High Voltage Broadband Over Power Lines Trial

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- In a ground breaking trial and part of its Smart Grid Initiative, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) has signed an agreement with PowerNET International, LLC to engage in a trial of a High Voltage Broadband over Power Lines (HVBPL) communications network utilizing state-of-the-art, patented technology held by International Broadband Electric Communications, Inc. (IBEC) and Amperion, Inc.

"We are pleased to finally be able to utilize the next generation of BPL technology in Puerto Rico, HVBPL," stated Scott E. Lee, Chief Executive Officer of IBEC, the nation's leader of BPL technology. "PREPA's trial project will demonstrate HVBPL's ability to communicate to substations without an existing telecommunication service. After successfully establishing BPL networks on low and medium voltage systems, HVBPL was a natural leap forward."

Nachum Sadan, CEO of Amperion added, "Amperion has successfully demonstrated the benefits of HVBPL in recent field tests with American Electric Power (AEP) and we are very excited to work together with IBEC and bring this innovative solution to Puerto Rico."

Regarding HVBPL, the cost to install HVBPL is a fraction of installing other types of communications networks because HVBPL relies on long-established and existing high-voltage electric power lines and infrastructure. The actual HVBPL technology was developed with a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy in 2007 and the first successful tests of the patented technology were announced in 2009.

HVBPL connects substations via transmission lines. "HVBPL can backhaul aggregated data from the grid's feeders and from inside the substation, enabling applications such as line protection, SCADA expansion, video surveillance, substation automation, and data and voice backhaul," noted Sadan.

PREPA is a government-owned electric power generation, transmission and distribution utility company and the main provider of electric power to all residential, commercial and government entities in Puerto Rico. PowerNET, working with IBEC and Amperion, will provide project management and oversight throughout the network design and initial testing of the HVBPL trial.

Last March, PREPA, PowerNET and IBEC announced the deployment of a Smart Grid BPL communications network to provide a high-speed, "always-on" communications pipeline over medium and low voltage power lines for the purpose of interconnecting and testing IP based Smart Grid energy monitoring and administrations systems.  The network has been a success.

Contact: K.B. Forbes, [email protected]

Phone +1 (202) 320-1212

SOURCE IBEC