UPLC Conference at GLOBALCOMM Highlights Growing Global Trend of Broadband over Power Lines

The United Power Line Council (UPLC) will host its
first-ever co-located Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) conference on
Wednesday, June 7 at GLOBALCOMM(TM) at McCormick Place in Chicago in
conjunction with the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA).
With power line-based broadband commercially deployed on a wide scale,
the UPLC Conference offers a comprehensive program that introduces the
technology to the industry; assesses the business opportunity for
carriers; and offers insights for broadband's long-term future
compared to other technology options.
More and more telecommunications traffic is migrating onto digital
broadband platforms, and there is significant consumer demand for
affordable broadband access. Because of this, there is a significant
opportunity for BPL to become a dominant technology.
"We are excited to carry the message of BPL to carriers looking
for last-mile access to business and residential customers in rural,
suburban and metro markets," said Bill Moroney, president & CEO of the
UPLC. "BPL is beginning to be rolled out commercially, and utilities
and BPL companies are interested in wholesale opportunities with
carriers, ISPs and video service providers."
"With the FCC phasing out local loop line sharing for competitive
DSL services this year, BPL provides an attractive option to
competitive carriers," said Matthew J. Flanigan, president of TIA. "At
GLOBALCOMM(TM), we've assembled a comprehensive program and expert
speakers with first hand experience to debate the potential
opportunities and challenges associated with BPL."
Expert panelists will address the business, legal/regulatory, and
technical issues for BPL and focus on how BPL can support business
goals for companies serving rural or suburban markets, residential or
business customers, in limited or wide-scale deployment, to provide
voice, video or high-speed Internet access. Some BPL trends that will
be discussed include:

-- Technology: BPL is maturing, with chipset speeds of 200 mbps,
equipment ramping up to wide scale production and standards
development underway

-- Regulatory: The FCC has established rules for BPL's technical
operation and is considering classifying it as an information
service that would be free from common carrier regulations

-- Business: Now offered on a commercial basis, BPL supports a
variety of different applications (including voice) in a
variety of different types of markets; and utilities are
pursuing a wholesale strategy

GLOBALCOMM(TM), the next-generation communications marketplace and
summit, will be held June 4-8, 2006, at Chicago's McCormick Place,
with exhibits open from Monday, June 5 through Wednesday, June 7. For
TIA, GLOBALCOMM(TM) replaces SUPERCOMM(R) as TIA's annual industry
event.

About TIA

TIA is the leading trade association for the information and
communications technology (ICT) industry. As owner and producer of
GLOBALCOMM(TM), TIA represents global ICT suppliers and their service
provider and enterprise customers through its leadership in standards
development, domestic and international policy advocacy, and
facilitating member business opportunities. TIA represents the
communications sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA).
Visit us at http://www.tiaonline.org.

About GLOBALCOMM(TM)

GLOBALCOMM(TM) is a trademark of the Telecommunications Industry
Association (TIA). The Next-Generation Communications Marketplace and
Summit will take place June 4-8, 2006, at McCormick Place in Chicago,
Illinois, USA. Visit www.globalcomm2006.com.
SUPERCOMM(R) is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications
Industry Association (TIA) and the United States Telecom Association
(USTA). The final SUPERCOMM(R) was held in June 2005.