Unique Broadband Over Powerline Project Planned For Mosques

Lucas123 writes "Broadband over powerline (BPL) provider Velchip is heading up a project that will offer 60 million very unique network users an unlimited high speed Internet connection of 224Mbps at a cost of only around RM5 ($1.58) per user per month. That's the cheapest, fastest internet connection in the world. The network is slated for use in the $14 billion 'Smart Mosque' project, which will be rolled out over three years in Indonesia and will link together 400,000 mosques. To add some perspective, in the US Verizon FiOS currently offers up to 30 Mbps downloads and 5 Mbps uploads starting at $42.99 a month. BPL modems use existing electrical power lines to deliver high speed Internet access and data transmission."

Re:Indonesia?

[Kyokushi]

The contractors are Malaysian--but yes, I hardly believe this will go on. Power lines in Indonesia are horrible, usually they black out whenever there's heavy storm for some reason. Nevermind that some people STEAL power lines and cables for money (how do they do that I have no frickin clue). Add the incompetency of bureucrats, and there you go. I don't know how does islamic organizations respond to this, and most importantly, who is going to pay for all of this. We got a huge national debt already, and not much people have a laptop--and those who do certainly don't bring them to mosques, where footwear got lost all the time.

The news headline and article are bullshit.

[aliquis]

Why do they cound 400.000 mosques as 60 million users? If I have 10 people in my appartment do my Internet connection become much cheaper then? To me the price seems to be 1500 times more than what they say for each 224 mbps connection, which are 2370 $. Sure the dollar are falling but it's still expensive as hell, and it's neither of cheapest or fastest there is.

Just marketing bullshit.

Who cares if there are 1500 possible mosques visitors in each mosque?

Re:Whoa there Nelly!

[strength_of_10_men]

The US still has better internet access than much of the third world.

Comparing our internet access to third world countries is pathetic. Why don't we have better internet access than ALL of the third world, if not the best internet access, period?

Re:Bad Idea

[faedle]

BPL typically uses frequencies much lower than where most TV broadcasting takes place, and is WAAAAY below the frequencies used by mobile phones.

As far as RF exposure goes, these are power lines. The power levels that BPL uses are way below the EMP emissions that are coming off the power lines as the result of.. oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that they are carrying alternating current oscillating at 50 or 60 Hertz?

Now, there is concern amongst users of HF and low-band VHF. Public safety, amateur, maritime, and some broadcast ('AM' [more accurately called "medium wave"] and short-wave) are all well within the frequency bands used by BPL, and in most of the first world these users are very vocal with their complaints.

Third World?

[Lorien_the_first_one]

Hardly a fair comparison. Japan vs. the US is a much better comparison. In some parts, they are offering 1Gbps. In most places, the average is 60 Mbs for about $35/mo.

Republicans have never been big on competition. Just ask their friends who helped to write the 1996 Telecommunications Act. That whole "Republican Revolution" was really a revolution for their *Republican* investor friends.

Bear Stearns will quietly tell you that Bush just wanted to bail his friends out. That's the free market for ya.

Until the market gets *really* free from the incumbents, we aren't going to see very high speeds on our internet connections. Here's a great link on the subject of how Bush and his friends let it happen:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/28/AR2007082801990_pf.html [washingtonpost.com]

Yes, Republicans like free markets, as long as its free for *Republican* investors to pillage, rape and burn.

So the next time you wonder why you're still using DSL at 1.5 Mbs, just ask Bush. At least he knows what a checkout scanner in s supermarket looks like. (Or does he?) Or you can go here: www.speedmatters.org

Enjoy.

Re:Indonesia?

[whiskey6]

Yeah, Indonesia is such a poor country. Whilst $1.58 is cheap to us, don't forget that the average salary over there is around $200/month, if that, which is why so many of them go work on cruise ships. When I was there a litre of gas was $.35-ish, a bottle of beer $.80 and a really freaking good local meal around $5 or so. So the rate may seem cheap, but it's actually quite a bit for your average Indonesian.

Re:Whoa there Nelly!

[thefoul]

Yes, they do. Right now. Who knows what Verizon will be offering when (if) these guys get this network going. Awesome. The US still has better internet access than much of the third world.

Oh that's reassuring. We're doing better than the third world everybody, cheers! Whatever happened to being a superpower? An economic juggernaut? What a joke we've turned into if the third world starts beating us in internet access.

Re:It'll never happen

[LM741N]

Your remarks about limited bandwidth are patently false. See the American Radio Relay League www.arrl.org and its discussion on BPL, and on their Federal Lawsuit against the FCC for promoting the wide bandwidth BPL. There are systems that have been developed, for example, at Motorola, that reduce interference in the 1Mhz to 30Mhz range, but no one seems to want to use them or care, despite violating FCC regulations that say that unlicensed devices cannot interfere with properly licensed ham radio and public service communication stations.

Re:Isn't "Smart Mosque" an oxymoron?

[Anonymous Coward]

Allah and the God of the Bible are NOT the same!

From the Quran, Surah 2:191:
"And slay the disbelievers wherever you find them, and drive them out from where they drove you out, and the turmoil they cause is worse than slaying; and do not fight them near the Sacred Mosque until they fight you there; so if they fight you, slay them; this is the punishment of the disbelievers."

From the Bible, II Peter 3:9:
"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

Allah says to kill disbelievers, God (aka Jesus Christ) desires for all to repent and none to perish.