Utility.net's new strategy
for the BPL revolution
Monday, Dec 4, 2006 90-minute live audio event starting at noon eastern
A state utility commissioner told Cheryl Smith she must have the most exciting job in the world since her firm is at the cusp of huge changes in the utility industry and poised to help facilitate them. That commissioner may be right, but Smith and her Utility.net team have learned a lot in the last few months of negotiations with Americas big IOUs about what utilities really want.
She and her team plan to share some of those lessons -- including details of how they craft their contracts plus anecdotes, legal concerns and updated strategies -- at the upcoming BPL Today audio conference. After months of meetings with federal and state commissioners and IOU execs Smith and her team have critical insight on where BPL stands today -- and where its going next quarter. One utility lawyer noted that Utility.nets latest contract submittal had fewer changes than some NDAs hes seen. Find out why. Don't miss the opportunity for you and your team to ask probing questions live on Monday, Dec 4, Noon Eastern. Here's the panel:
Scott Lee, CEO, IBEC, the hardware vendor that teamed with Utility.net. Lee plans to discuss his firms grid-friendly coupler built into the Cooper arrestor and its ease of training and installation. The firm is using the fastest chips on the market to send signal long distances. Hell explain regenerators versus repeaters plus automatic notching that makes 1,567 frequencies available to automatically route packets on an open frequency. IBEC claims to offer the lowest per-customer-passed cost in the industry.
Cheryl Smith, CEO, Utility.net. Smith plans to explain Utility.nets business model as, first and foremost, an owner and operator of a highly cost-effective broadband network based on BPL. Tiers of 768 Kbps, 1.5 mbps and 3 mbps are on the menu and higher if needed. Data, voice and video on demand plus internet access will be served starting in un-served and underserved areas within an investor-owned utilitys distribution territory. That generates revenue quickly due to limited or absent competition thus higher than average consumer take rates that let the firm build out a complete BPL network, cost-free and risk-free to the utility. The firm is developing grid reliability and safety applications that use the data delivered by BPL and the firms network operations center. Fred Lowther, Senior Partner, Corporate and Finance Group, Dickstein Shapiro. Lowther will reveal how the Utility.net cost indemnification works, how the firm commits to a risk-free implementation and operation for the IOU. Hell discuss affiliate transaction rules and how the landlord model works to put money on the IOUs bottom line. Dickstein Shapiro was rated #10 this year on the A List of law firms in the US. Fred heads the energy practice both US and international and is Utility.nets acting general counsel. Jacob Farber, Counsel, Communications Practice, Dickstein Shapiro. Farber will explain what the new FCC ruling on BPL is all about plus network neutrality issues, options under the regulatory classification scheme adopted by the FCC (Title I v Title II classification), the rulings impact on the Utility.net business model such as how to be network neutral and still be an Information services provider. And hell report ISP reactions to date. Farber is involved in proceedings before the FCC, state PUCs and the courts on behalf of telecommunications and broadcast clients. He is an expert in the communications field and worked with Utility.net since the firms inception. Michael Keselman, CTO, Utility.net. Keselman plans to explain the types of data -- both above and below ground -- that Utility.nets NOC collects, what applications are available now for large power firms with BPL systems, dedicated connectivity capabilities that Utility.net offers to its IOUs -- and what this all means to utilities in terms of improved grid reliability and safety and decreased costs. Special features: Anonymous format. All identities of registrants on the call are kept anonymous to allow utilities and others to ask questions without revealing possible plans or strategies. This format has worked well in the past. Those who wish to can announce their identity during the Q&A. Interactive. The 90-minute audio conference will include about 60 minutes of discussion by the presenters, followed by a 30 minute Q&A period when you can ask questions concerning your specific needs. Cost and time efficient. Gather as many of your staff as you wish around a table on Dec 4 to participate at one low cost. Everyone is covered under the single rate of $165*/location. Risk free. If you attend the live conference and are not satisfied, we'll refund your registration fee. An audio CD of this event will be available for paid registrants that can't attend. Can't listen live? No problem. Purchase a CD or on-demand audio conference download of the program and listen when you can. Registration options: - $165* Audio conference participation
- $150 Audio conference on CD (free shipping and handling)
- $240* COMBO: audio conference participation and audio CD recording
- $150* On-demand audio conference (download the entire audio conference instantly from our website within 24 hours after the live event)
2 easy ways to register: * BPL Today subscribers save an additional 10% on live and on-demand audio conferences. If registering online, your discount will be calculated automatically during check out. To register by phone and save, simply let our customer service staff know that you're a current BPL Today subscriber when you call. | 
