May 13th, 2005
Broadband Internet Via Your Natural Gas Lines?
I’ve followed home networking via power lines back in the days of goofy do it yourself networking products like “LAN in a Can.” There were RF LANs and so on, but today I found out about a company in San Diego poised to roll-out board band via natural gas lines. Or as the technology is called: “Broadband in Gas” or BIG.
“BiG can offer 10-gigabit broadband using “the private spectrum isolated within natural gas pipelines.” Essentially, what Nethercomm is planning is a broadband system that pumps data from existing local hubs, through gas lines and into homes, where it can be accessed using existing cable modems. ” Source: Engadget
Alice’s Take: Call me crazy but natural gas and anything that plugs in like a cable modern just don’t mix. Picture rebooting and blowing up your kitchen. Sounds about as much fun as a retinal scan at an airport.
Keith says:
There is nothing to worry about provided you keep the pilot light in your CD tray lit.
This idea inspires me to invent broadband over the one avenue into a home that has not been explored… water and sewer lines.
May 13th, 2005 at 8:31 pm
degustibus says:
shoot. go with gigabyte telepathy, with telekinesis and teleportation options
May 13th, 2005 at 11:58 pm
Mike says:
Wonder what happens if your modem or computer would overheat..DOH
Mike
May 14th, 2005 at 3:38 am
OnSite says:
You mean that I can carry broadband with me? I carry natural gas with me, too!
May 14th, 2005 at 6:21 am
Alice says:
How about via the water system? Everyone always talks about fat pipes and having this and that “on tap”, why not make it literal? Hook your modem to the garden hose!
May 14th, 2005 at 9:21 am
Walter says:
It is a strange concept and, to tell you the truth… it looks like a hoax to me. The nethercomm.com domain is registered under a person not a company, plus, the email shown in the registrar is from AOL. The site is well done but there are no links to major press articles on the technology. Besides, the picture (infograph) in the welcome page hasn’t been properly resized and its quite harsh (a mistake a professional wouldn’t make).
I searched Google and the e-media article states the company as being from Delaware but the endgadget link above suggests it is based on San Diego, which I believe is in California. Perhaps if any american take interest in having a goal at it and dropping a line to these guys too check it out, or perhaps check if the company really exists…
I may be wrong but if I had to bet I’d say you’ve been fooled. Just a thought…
May 14th, 2005 at 10:09 pm
Alice says:
Interesting. It was posted on Friday the 13th - not a traditonal day for hoxes, but you never know. Many US compaies incorporate out of Deleware, but let’s see what else we can dig up on them.
May 16th, 2005 at 12:21 pm
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July 29th, 2006 at 12:42 pm