FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEWS MEDIA CONTACTS

October 14, 2004 FCC - David Fiske 202-418-0513

FERC -- Bryan Lee 202-502-8680

**Joint Statement on Broadband Over Power Line Communications Services
by**

**Chairman Pat Wood, III, of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
and**

**Chairman Michael K. Powell of the Federal Communications Commission**

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Federal Communications
Commission have been examining the technology of broadband over power
line communications services (BPL) and its ability to improve
communications for the American public and enhance power supply system
management.

By this joint statement, Chairman Pat Wood, III of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC) and Chairman Michael K. Powell of the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) agree that BPL holds great
promise for the American public.

Specifically, FERC Chairman Wood and FCC Chairman Powell believe:

-   that ubiquitous broadband deployment is important to the economic,
    educational, social, medical, and cultural welfare of the country.
    In order to achieve this goal, national policies should facilitate
    rapid deployment of all broadband technologies, including BPL.
    Policymakers at all levels should coordinate their efforts to
    promote a minimally intrusive policy framework for such
    technologies.

-   that the provision of high-speed communications capabilities over
    utility poles and electric power lines (Access BPL) provides an
    opportunity to increase the competitive broadband choices that are
    available to customers and the power supply system management
    options of utilities.

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-   that Access BPL may help provide additional power supply system
    communications and control capabilities to improve reliability and
    efficiency. Such capabilities include "self-healing" network
    capabilities; improved security from physical and cyber threats;
    facilitating use of distributed generation; customer and utility
    control of appliances and equipment energy use; improved load
    management and electric grid utilization; and such applications as
    automated meter reading, extension of supervisory control and data
    acquisition functions to the end user level, outage detection, and
    equipment performance monitoring.

-   that these services should be allowed to develop according to market
    demands with minimal regulation.

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Therefore, Chairman Wood and Chairman Powell urge:

-   utilities to pursue new and developing technologies, such as BPL,
    that will foster greater customer options in broadband, provide more
    efficient management of the power supply system, and ensure
    increased operational reliability.

-   utilities to appropriately allocate revenues and costs related to
    new technologies, such as Access BPL, between regulated and
    unregulated functions.

In addition, Chairman Wood and Chairman Powell agree to:

-   continue to encourage the development of new technologies that
    provide additional competitive broadband options, promote continued
    U.S. leadership in broadband technology, and improve power supply
    system security, reliability, and efficiency.

-   monitor experience with Access BPL to ensure that existing
    regulations do not stifle the development of this nascent
    technology.

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