At one time, it was considered the future of broadband Internet access. But it fell out of favor. Now, it's back, now that IBM is throwing its weight behind the idea. What we're talking about is delivering Internet access over ordinary power lines.

IBM is hooking up with a small newcomer called International Broadband Electric Communications to try to get broadband links to rural areas that don't have other broadband options. The technology for delivering Internet service through power lines has existed for decades. But most of the attempts at putting the technology to use on a large scale have failed to live up to the hype. One major drawback is that Internet service delivered through power lines isn't as fast as cable or DSL.