5 Jan 2006 - PowerLinx Rear Vision Systems for Vehicles to be Evaluated in Federally Funded Study

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 5, 2006--PowerLinx, Inc. (OTCBB:PWLX), today announced that its power line rear vision system will be evaluated as part of the federal transportation authorization known as the "Safe Accountable, Flexible Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users" (SAFETEA-LU). The Act authorizes $800,000 to be used for the study.

The US Congress has asked the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at the University of South Florida to conduct research into the suitability of power line carrier technology for use in the reduction of fatalities, injuries, and property damage caused by back-over crashes involving motor carriers. Video technology is currently being employed to address this situation, but concerns have been expressed about the reliability, life-cycle cost, and time-out-of-service for vehicles utilizing this technology. The research will evaluate the reliability and life-cycle costs of the Power Line Rear Vision system, and assess the ease of installation and feasibility of wide-spread deployment of the technology. The research will also provide an estimate of cost savings that would result from widespread use of video collision avoidance technology, including savings attributable to the prevention of fatalities, injuries, damage to other vehicles, damage to cargo, and damage to other objects.

PowerLinx Vice-President and General Manager of the Transportation Division, James Markus, said: "We are eager to participate with the Center for Urban Transportation Research in this study. PowerLinx believes it will validate the effectiveness of rear vision video systems in the reduction of property and personal injury and the ease of installation and use of our power line rear vision systems."

About PowerLinx, Inc.: PowerLinx, Inc., http://www.power-linx.com, develops, manufactures, and markets products and applications that transmit voice, video, audio and data either individually or in any and all combinations over power lines, twisted-pair wires and coax in AC and DC power environments, on any and all power grids. The Company has also developed, manufactured, and marketed different kinds of underwater video cameras, lights and accessories for the marine, commercial and consumer retail markets.