Proposed BPL trials in Melbourne

Newly formed telco Silk Telecom is gearing up to commence a trial of broadband over powerline (BPL) technology in Melbourne, working with one of its parents, electricity utility Powercor�, ZD Net Australia reported. Silk�s chief executive, Simon Perkins, said the Melbourne trial would go ahead after a building developer was identified to assist with some of the work. Further details are not available at this time. Perkins stated: "Our parent company, Cheung Kong Group/Hong Kong Electric ... they've got 40,000 people using BPL in Hong Kong . "And its commercially viable. So we are copying what they're doing in Hong Kong down here on a trial basis. Perkins also noted that the economics of BPL were �not fantastic� at this time, dependent on pricing policies of Telstra and equipment costs. The ZD Net story is available by clicking HERE The Silk Announcement follows similar announcements by Country Energy (rural NSW) and Transact (ACT).

Silk Telecom

Silk telecom recently acquired telecommunications assets from ETSA Utilities and Powercor Australia. Silk telecom is ultimately owned 50% by Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings Ltd and 50% by Hong Kong Electric Holdings Ltd, both publicly listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

According to the Silk media center, Silk telecom operates extensive optic fibre telecommunications networks in Adelaide, Melbourne, and key regional centres in South Australia and Victoria. Silk Telecom has an extensive metropolitan fibre network in Adelaide and Melbourne. Additionally, in Victoria it has fibre loops in Bendigo, Ballarat and Geelong, while in South Australia, Silk telecom has an active program to deliver fibre into Regional centres, including Port Lincoln where it won the Regional Broadband Development tender in 2005. Port Augusta and Whyalla are now on-net and it is planned to have Murray Bridge on Silk telecom infrastructure by mid 2006. Silk telecom has also established a network presence in Darwin, and has national inter-capacity capacity�.

Silk Telecom is a member of UtiliTel, a consortium of power utility companies promoting BPL in Australia.

The Silk media center can be accessed via teh following Link

Click Here To Return To Previous Page