ZOTAC NVIDIA: IBM and International Broadband Electric

IBM and International Broadband Electric Communications, Inc. (IBEC) today announced the signing of a $9.6 million agreement to have IBM install Broadband over Power Line (BPL) networks at electric cooperatives throughout the eastern US. IBEC will focus on providing broadband services to underserved residents in rural America.

Currently, there are over 900 electric cooperatives in the United States providing 45% of the total electric grid and covering 75% of the land mass in the U.S. BPL leverages an existing asset, the power lines, to quickly and inexpensively deploy broadband access. IBM, the first major systems integrator to enter this market, will provide overall project management, oversight, and training of the line crews who will be installing the BPL equipment. IBEC, the leader in bringing broadband to rural America, will provide the BPL technology and equipment and serve as the Internet Service Provider (ISP) to these rural residents.

"Americans in rural areas of the country trail their urban and suburban counterparts in broadband availability," noted Scott Lee, CEO of IBEC, in making this announcement. "This capability will play a critical role in rural health, education, and economic development, while closing the digital divide that exists between well served and underserved America."