Patent ID: 7319717

Claim:
A device for enabling broadband communications signals over a medium voltage power line, the device comprising: a first modem electrically coupled to a medium voltage power line and adapted to receive broadband communications signals from the medium voltage power line; a second modem electrically coupled to the medium voltage power line and adapted to transmit broadband communications signals to the medium voltage power line; a third modem electrically coupled to a low voltage power line and adapted to transmit broadband communications signals to the low voltage power line; one or more switches coupling the first modem, the second modem, and the third modem, and operable to transfer broadband communications signals between two or more of the first modem, the second modem, and the third modem; a coupler electrically coupled to the third modem and the low voltage power line and operable to transmit communications signals from the third modem to the low voltage power line; a wireless access point operable to communicate wireless communications signals to and from one or more of the first modem, the second modem, and the third modem; and a housing that physically surrounds the first modem, the second modem, the third modem, the one or more switches, the coupler, and the wireless access point; wherein the broadband communications signals comprise a transfer rate of at least 1.5 megabits per second in at least one direction.