Black and youth-owned company DV8 Telecoms has thrown its hat in the ring in a bid to assist with bridging the proverbial digital divide through cutting edge Broadband over Powerline (BPL) technology.

The company has partnered with a Canadian headquartered and world market leader in BPL technology, Corinex Communications. “The partnership is in providing cutting edge Broadband over Powerline technology that will assist in bridging the digital divide by offering Broadband services over the electrical infrastructure,” says DV8 Executive Director Karabo Tlhagwane.

BPL technology is an innovative way of providing broadband services to customers, while enhancing electricity delivery system reliability. An exciting aspect of the technology is the customer’s ability to access, through a BPL modem, high-speed broadband Internet services over existing electric power lines. A computer is simply plugged into any electric outlet in a home. BPL has the potential to provide faster, more reliable Internet service and eliminate the need for communication wiring of homes, which is required for DSL or cable.

Since BPL technology uses existing electric power lines, it has the potential to reach every customer that is connected to the electricity delivery grid—a marked advantage over cable and DSL broadband. This has a massive potential of assisting the government with the challenge of bridging the digital divide by making the internet more accessible to the marginalised communities.

“One of the most important benefits of BPL is the ability to offer high speed internet and internet based services like Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Video on Demand (VoD) on the eletrical lines very cost effectively,” Tlhagwane says.

He further points out that BPL technology also has a crucial role to play in the area of energy efficiency. “With the current energy crunch facing the country forecast to last for many more years and limited resources to generate more capacity, demand side interventions have become very critical.

“Our technology will enable utilities including Eskom to implement energy saving through an efficient Smart Grid, where energy is delivered, monitored and managed in real-time and on demand. Technologies such as automated meter reading, real time system monitoring, preventive maintenance, outage detection and restoration and remote Surveillance can be run through BPL using the existing electrical lines.”

The need for a Smart Grid is further emphasised by the need for greater efficiency in the use of energy in order to reduce the emission of greenhouse house gases. The emission of these gases results from the burning of fossil fuels including coal.

By implementing a Smart Grid, electrical utilities will be able to run an efficient and intelligent electrical grid. A grid that will be better able to meet the growing demand for electricity without doing any more harm to the environment.

For more information contact:

Marketing & Communications Department

Block 1, Unit 4
Boardwalk Office Park
107 Haymeadow Street
Faerie Glen Pretoria East,
Gauteng
South Africa
0044

POSTAL ADRESS (SOUTH AFRICA)

P.O BOX 12819
Vorna Valley
MIDRAND
1686

012 991 4002 (Telephone)
086 690 6115 (Fax)
073 130 5256 (Mobile)

info@dv8telecoms.com