From: “IBEC Customer Service”
Date: February 27, 2009 5:07:43 PM EST
To: “info”
Subject: Martins Store Broadband over Powerline Update February 27, 2009
Martins Store Substation BPL Update
February 27, 2009
Great News! The long awaited connection to the Martins Store Substation head end is now active. The circuit was released to IBEC this morning and we now have access. You may recall that it was due two weeks ago, but one of the T-1 lines that comprise the circuit was not working. The problem was identified as a bad card and Verizon put in an order for a replacement only to find that the replacement was also bad.
Now that the circuit is operational, all three injection points are “hot” and Internet traffic is flowing down the powerlines. As with the areas served by Woods Mill injection point and with the Afton injection point, the IBEC engineers will start activating and configuring the BPL backbone equipment that hangs along the powerlines served by the Martins Store substation injection point. Each unit will be tested and brought online.
Along with the engineers in the IBEC Network Operations Center, the Davis H. Elliott crews will be working along the lines, to help resolve any local problems that appear with the BPL network activations. IBEC would have been aware of and resolved these problems when they first hung the BPL equipment if the T-1 lines were operational at that time. Now that the BPL network is passing Internet data, the engineers and linemen are addressing any locations where the BPL signal is blocked or less than optimal.
IBEC is bringing subscribers online as each section of the network is tested. Last week we described the BPL sections of the Martins Store substation area.
The injection point at the Martins Store substation feeds three BPL circuits:
· Afton 1 – runs north along Route 151 to Greenfield Road
· Woods Mill 1 – runs along Route 6 to Route 29 and then to points south
· Nellysford 1
As we reported this injection point now has an Internet connection and the activation process will begin. IBEC will contact you when they are ready to activate you BPL modem. IBEC also has more BPL equipment to hang in some sections of this area.
The injection point on Rockfish River Road is divided into two BPL circuits:
· Woods Mill 3 – furthest away from the substation and
· Woods Mill 2 – closer to the substation and Route 29.
Crews focused on this area last week and found a number of noise sources that needed to be corrected as well as some equipment that needed to be replaced. Work will continue next week with an additional crew. IBEC also has an additional engineer in the field to help mitigate any issues that might arise. We have had some good reports from people whose service has been activated and hope that others will send comments to service@ibec.net.
The two Afton injection point BPL circuits begin at Tanbark Drive. Last week, we erred in noting that it ran along Route 29. Here is a better description:
· Afton 3 section is located furthest from the substation, running north along Route 151 and to points east and west.
· Afton 2 section runs south along Route 151 and to points east and west and serves down to Greenfield Road.
The Afton section did not have as many noise issues as the Woods Mill section, but the crews and engineers worked on those that were present as well as any blocking issues. Next week, the crews must finish hanging customer access units in the Afton 3 section. We also have has some good feedback from those online in this area and hope to hear more as we unblock that area and activate new subscribers.
With the addition of another crew and the troubleshooter, next week should be productive and open great sections of the BPL network for online access. If you are contacted by IBEC by telephone, please get back in touch with us, so that we can activate your modem and ensure that you have an optimized configuration.
Thanks again for your patience,
IBEC Customer Service
