I was involved in a test with equipment running Digital Power Lines (DPL) in 1999 and the max speed at that time was about 1MB. We manage to hit about 700KB but there was a lot of interference and the line was not stabil. Bear in mind this was quite sometime ago and it was done in Malaysia at a Public Utility company. Much has changed over the few years but the basic problems still persist.
Broadband power line (BPL) is the term coined by the FCC for new modems (BPL modems) used to deliver IP-based broadband services on electric power lines.
An unscreened or unbalanced 240v wire of undefined charasteric impedance simply can't support a quality data signal without either generating lots of interference, or getting clobbered by interference from every domestic applicance around. The latter problem comes from every thing like hoovers, washing machines, and substandard switch mode supplies in TVs DVD players and PCs. This reminds me of the problems of wireless routers with interfering microwaves and generators.
Broadband service providers got the green light from the California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday to test broadband over power line (BPL) technology, paving the way for a third option in the high-speed Internet market. The technology known as BPL uses the existing utility lines that deliver power to carry broadband signals into the home. For years, people have hoped BPL would allow electric companies to become a viable third alternative to the cable and telephone companies providing high-speed access to the Internet.
Nevertheless, several utilities across the country are looking into deploying BPL, and several big technology companies, such as Google, IBM and EarthLink, are investing in the technology.
California Broadband over Digital Power Line Test source
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