DIRECTV/Current BPL Effort Floundering?

Has an effort to combine DIRECTV service with broadband access delivered via power lines through technology provided by Current short-circuited in Dallas?

Last week, Oncor Electric agreed to purchase Current's existing Smart Grid network in the Texas city as well as additional equipment for about $90 million. The deal is expected to close during the current quarter.

Oncor said it plans to use the Smart Grid solution to monitor the electrical network for efficiency and trouble-shooting. And an Oncor spokesperson told The Dallas Morning News that the company has "no plans to get into the telecommunications business."

Some media reports took that as a suggestion that the DIRECTV/Current BPL effort could come to an end. Still, there is no official word from the companies involved, and some dismissed the earlier reports as premature ... and possibly wrong.