JUSTIFICATION

0223-EX-PL-2006 Text Documents

CenterPoint Energy Inc

2006-05-03ELS_75827

                                                                          January 30, 2006

               Proposed Broadband over Power Line (BPL)
                          Extended Trial in Houston Texas
Integration and Extended Trial Deployment By: CenterPoint Energy

Energy Utility Company: CenterPoint Energy

BPL Product Manufacturer: Corinex Communications Corporation

RE: Answers to the required questions on FCC form 442, section #7 describing in detail the following
items:

    a.   The complete program of research and experimentation proposed including description of
         equipment and theory of operation.

CenterPoint Energy and IBM have agreed to jointly deploy a BPL extended pilot in the Houston area to
test utility applications such as electronic meter reading as well as connect/disconnect of service. For this
extended pilot, CenterPoint Energy will use a product manufactured by Corinex Communications
Corporation which incorporates the DS2 chipset and uses Power Line Carrier (PLC) radio frequencies to
transmit over power lines. An area has been identified within a 47 kilometer radius of CenterPoint
Energy Tower located at 1111 Louisiana (geographical coordinates : NAD83 : Latitude 29-45-25.8 N,
Longitude 95-22-04.8 W).

BPL is being tested today across the United States of America. CenterPoint Energy has a test trial located
in the Bellaire, Texas area, and it is our intention to develop a full utility wide deployment plan for
CenterPoint Energy after successful completion of this extended pilot in the Houston area.

    b. The specific objectives sought to be accomplished.

CenterPoint Energy intends to install Corinex’s BPL product to establish system functionality and
viability for full scale deployment. CenterPoint will be using BPL for utility applications such as time of
use meter reading and remote connect/disconnect. Other utility applications will be tested such as
automated power grid switching as well as other developing applications. The objective is to measure
system reliability, quality of service, and scalability across the power grid.

    c.   How the program of experimentation has a reasonable promise of contribution to the
         development, extension, expansion or utilization of the radio art, or is along line not
         already investigated.
CenterPoint Energy has an extensive network design experience across multiple access technologies
including, Fiber, DSL, Microwave, Sonet, PLC, BPL, Frame Relay, ISDN and Wireless. As a Utility,
CenterPoint Energy has over 30 years experience operating communications systems for the power grid.
Corinex Communications has joined the industry to produce and manufacture technology to implement
BPL. CenterPoint Energy is confident that Corinex’s BPL product will add even more credibility to the
ever expanding BPL market, and will help prove the technological viability and add to the broadband
market growth in years to come.

BPL has been identified by FCC chairman, Michael K. Powell as having;
“The potential to provide consumers with a ubiquitous third broadband pipe to the home” and
“Broadband over power lines is at the cutting edge of this dramatic digital migration that will
continue to free applications (e.g., voice, data, and video) from the regulatory and technological
shackles that have tied them to specific platforms (e.g., voice to copper and video to coaxial cable)”.



Document Created: 2006-05-03 14:02:43
Document Modified: 2006-05-03 14:02:43

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