BPL:IBEC Martins Store Substation Update : February 20, 2009

Nelson County, Virginia

The latest e-mail blast from IBEC regarding BPL deployment in Nelson County, Virginia on Friday evening.

From: “IBEC Customer Service”
Date: February 20, 2009 6:04:20 PM EST
To: “info”
Subject: Martins Store Broadband over Powerline Update February 20, 2009

Martins Store Substation BPL Update

February 20, 2009

Contract Crews returned from Storm Restoration duty and began work on Tuesday, two crews working to complete the installation of Customer Access Units and one crew debugging the backbone in the Woods Mill area and the northern Afton area. IBEC will complete the debugging process with the assistance of the contract crews and continue to activate customers as the backbone is cleared and configured to provide a strong Internet connection.

As you know, there are three injection points and IBEC has subdivided the areas served by the injection points. For common reference, here is how IBEC defines the BPL system along with the percentage of Customer Access Units installed not including those units installed in the last two days. (Please note: IBEC is adding subscribers that recently enrolled.)

Martins Store Injection Point has three circuits:
Afton 1
north along Route 151
93% complete
128/137 units
Woods Mill 1
Route 6 to Route 29 and then south
78% complete
180/230 units
Nellysford Circuit
south along Route 151
60% complete
125/208

Rockfish River Road Injection Point has two circuits in the North Rockfish Valley:
Woods Mill 2
Rockfish River road and north along 29
100% complete
95/95 units
Woods Mill 3
Rockfish River Road and points south
99.9% complete
126/127 units

Tanbark Drive Injection Point has two circuits along Route 29 and to points east:
Afton 2
Tanbark Drive the south along 151
93% complete
120/129 units
Afton 3
Tanbark Drive then north along Route 151
34% complete
51-152 units

The contract crews will continue installing customer access units and configuring the BPL backbone. One crew can typically install 8-10 units per day. That equate to 32-40 units per crew per week.
Next week should be a productive one for the crew working in Woods Mill as they work to complete the backbone configuration,then join the other two crews to in the Rockfish Valley.
Regarding the Martins Store Injection Point (Afton 1, Woods Mill 1 and Nellysford Circuits) you may recall that Verizon had attempted to release the T-1 lines but found a problem with one of the three physical lines. They identified the problem and ordered a card that was due to be delivered today. Once installed, Verizon will attempt to release the circuits again and then IBEC can bring up the BPL backbone and activate subscribers. That will complete the 8 month journey in getting an Internet connection to the head end of the BPL project, which allows IBEC to deliver the Internet to you through the powerlines.
If we have good weather next week, we look forward to reporting good progress on the project as we turn towards the completion point.
Any customers that are activated and wish to submit feedback or share their experience with subscribers waiting to come online, please send your comments to service@ibec.net and tell us that you want to let others know about your BPL experience.
Thanks again for your patience,
IBEC Customer Service