Intelligent Electronic Device for Providing Broadband Internet Access

A socket based revenue meter for providing broadband access to a network comprising:

• a housing;
• blade connections disposed on the meter mateable with matching jaws of a detachable meter mounting device for connecting the meter to a power line of a power distribution system;
• at least one sensor coupled to at least one blade connection configured for measuring at least one power parameter of the power line and generating at least one analog signal indicative of the at least one power parameter;
• at least one analog to digital converter coupled to the at least one sensor configured for receiving the at least one analog signal and converting the at least one analog signal to at least one digital signal;
• at least one processor configured for receiving the at least one digital signal and calculating energy consumption in the electrical circuit;
• and
• a gateway disposed in the housing coupled to the power line of the electrical power distribution system via at least one blade connection and configured for receiving broadband data transmissions imposed on the power line upstream of the meter, demodulating the imposed data transmissions and broadcasting wirelessly the demodulated data to a computing device located downstream from the intelligent electronic device.

An system for providing broadband Internet access comprising:

• at least one intelligent electronic device comprising:
• at least one sensor coupled to at least one utility power line of an electrical power distribution system and configured for measuring at least one power parameter of the at least one utility power line and generating at least one analog signal indicative of the at least one power parameter;
• at least one analog to digital converter coupled to the at least one sensor configured for receiving the at least one analog signal and converting the at least one analog signal to at least one digital signal;
• at least one processor configured for receiving the at least one digital signal and calculating energy consumption in the electrical circuit;
• and
• a gateway coupled to the at least one utility power line of the electrical power distribution system and configured for receiving broadband data transmissions imposed on the at least one utility power line, demodulating the imposed data transmission and routing the demodulated data to a computing device located downstream from the intelligent electronic device;
• and
• at least one adapter coupled to the downstream portion of the at least one utility power line configured for providing the demodulated data to at least one network device.