Patent ID: 7307511

Claim:
A system for providing communications over a power distribution system having a medium voltage power line, a plurality of low voltage power lines extending to customer residences, and a first transformer coupling the medium voltage power line to the low voltage power lines, the system comprising: an aggregation device having a first modem communicatively coupled to the medium voltage power line, said aggregation device further including a backhaul interface configured to provide communications via a backhaul link; a first transformer bypass device having a second modem communicatively coupled to the medium voltage power line for communications with said first modem; said first transformer bypass device further including a third modem configured to communicate with a plurality of communications devices at customer premises; said first transformer bypass device further including a router in communication with said second modem and said third modem; and wherein said first transformer bypass device provides a data path between the medium voltage power line and one or more communications devices at customer premises thereby bypassing the first transformer and wherein voltages of the medium voltage power line are not conducted to the plurality of low voltage power line by said first transformer bypass device.