The disclosure relates to a system and method for communicating with a meter at a remote premise through power transmission lines. The system comprises a head end for collecting and analyzing data from the meter; a power transmission network connected to the meter and to the head end; and a gateway. The network provides both power to the remote location and data communications; the network includes a first network providing a first voltage and a second network connected to the first network and the remote location. The gateway is a bridge between the first and second networks; the gateway provides an interface communication point. The communications are carried over the network following Internet protocol (IP) communication standards.