One Step Closer to "Electric Broadband"

The idea of serving broadband Internet access through existing electrical wires has been around for some time. Japan's Matshushita Electric has taken a big step toward making the theoretical a reality with a chip that allows users to connect to the Net simply by plugging their devices into an ordinary power outlet. The chip would essentially act as an interface between a device and the outlet.

Besides the obvious advantages of leveraging power outlets for online access, Matshushita's system delivers speeds up to 170 megabits per second -- faster than conventional Ethernet. The system could also bring us closer to the pervasive computing environment, in which electrical devices of all sorts could be networked.

UPDATE: Several alert readers have noted the irony that Japan has for now banned Internet access through electrical lines (or power line communication [PLC]), citing interference with radio frequencies in the 2-30 MHz range.

Sources: USA Today, Smart Mobs