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 NEWS  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE:  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACT:  November  3,  2006  Mark  Wigfield,  202-  418-  0253 
 Email:  mark.  wigfield@  fcc.  gov 


 FCC  CLASSIFIES  BROADBAND  OVER  POWER  LINE-  ENABLED  INTERNET  ACCESS  AS  “INFORMATION  SERVICE” 
 Classification  Provides  Certainty  for  BPL  Providers  to  Increase  Broadband  Deployment 
 Washington,  D.  C.  –  The  Federal  Communications  Commission  today  declares  Broadband  over  Power  Line  (BPL)-  enabled  Internet  access  service  to  be  an  information  service. 


 The  order  places  BPL-  enabled  Internet  access  service  on  an  equal  regulatory  footing  with  other  broadband  services,  such  as  cable  modem  service  and  DSL  Internet  access  service.  Competition 
 among  broadband  services  providers  will  provide  consumers  with  more  and  better  services  at  lower  prices. 


 Specifically,  the  Order  finds  that  the  transmission  component  underlying  BPL-  enabled  Internet  access  service  is  “telecommunications,”  and  that  the  provision  of  this 
 telecommunications  transmission  component  as  part  of  a  functionally  integrated,  finished  BPL-enabled  Internet  access  service  offering  is  an  information  service.  This  approach  is  consistent 
 with  the  framework  that  the  Commission  has  established  for  cable  modem  service  and  wireline  broadband  Internet  access  service,  furthering  the  Commission’s  goal  of  regulating  like  services 
 in  a  similar  manner. 
 In  reaching  these  determinations,  the  Commission  provides  regulatory  certainty  regarding  the  classification  of  this  service,  thereby  encouraging  deployment  of  BPL-  enabled  Internet 


 access  to  consumers. 
 Action  by  the  Commission,  November  3,  2006,  by  Memorandum  Opinion  and  Order  (FCC  06-  165).  Chairman  Martin,  Commissioner  Tate,  with  Commissioners  Copps  and  Adelstein 


 concurring,  and  Commissioner  McDowell  not  participating.  Separate  statements  issued  by  Chairman  Martin,  Commissioners  Copps,  Adelstein,  and  Tate. 


 WC  Docket  No.:  06-  10 
 Wireline  Competition  Bureau  Staff  Contact:  Adam  Kirschenbaum,  202-  418-  7280;  adam.  kirschenbaum@  fcc.  gov. 


 -FCC-  News  about  the  Federal  Communications  Commission  can  also  be  found 
 on  the  Commission’s  web  site  www.  fcc.  gov. 
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