The first time I remember hearing about broadband over power lines was more than 10 years ago. The last time I heard about it was nearly 10 years ago. Well, not really but I hadn’t read much about it for a while until last week.

Here’s the new from the IBEC news release:

IBM (NYSE: IBM) and International Broadband Electric Communications, Inc. (IBEC) today announced the signing of a $9.6 million Agreement to have IBM install Broadband over Power Line (BPL) networks at electric cooperatives throughout the eastern US. IBEC will focus on providing broadband services to underserved residents in rural America.

So that would be cool. I got a little more info from Ars Technica – they had current pricing from IBEC: from $29.95 per month for symmetric 256Kbps up to $89.95 per month for 3Mbps for residential service, and $69.95 to $229.95 per month for the same range for businesses. In early co-op tests, a $99 setup fee includes a BPL modem.

I hope it works out – rural areas could definitely use another player in the field.