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FCC Affirms BPL Rules - Oct 25 2011

Oct 25th 2011, 19:18

K0KP

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
"WASHINGTON: Broadband access from ordinary wall sockets may yet become a reality. The Federal Communications Commission today affirmed its rules for Broadband over Power Lines with minor modifications."

“These rules provide an appropriate balance between the dual objectives of providing for Access BPL technology that has potential applications for broadband and Smart Grid while protecting incumbent radio services against harmful interference.”
- TV Technology Oct 25, 2011

full article here:

http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/125524
Oct 27th 2011, 10:03

W0BTU

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
What is the ARRL doing about this? I thought BPL was dead. This is the worst possible news.

Since I have always enjoyed weak signal work, if BPL comes to the power lines at my QTH, that would completely ruin ham radio for me.

73, Mike
www.w0btu.com
Oct 27th 2011, 19:39

KB0HAE

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
Hi Mike. Most BPL internet services have proved to not be economically feasable or profitable. While some countries have totally rejected BPL for the horrible idea that it is, the FCC has been influenced by BPL proponents. While the ARRL believes that the changes made so far are an improvement, more needs to be done. There is an artical on the news page that gives more details.
Oct 28th 2011, 16:26

W0BTU

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
I read the article.

But doesn't this sound like BPL is coming to a power line near some hapless hams in the not-too-distant future? That is why I asked, "What is the ARRL doing about this?"

73 Mike
www.w0btu.com
Oct 31st 2011, 18:02

K3FU

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
Hi Mike,

The general answer is that the League is doing many, many things in terms of gathering technical evidence (Ed Hare, W1RFI, driving his instrument-and-antenna-packed Subaru all over the country taking noise measurements), petitioning the FCC (many Ex-Parte presentations in the FCC Electronic Comment Filing System, including an excellent technical report compiled by Ed Hare from both his measurements, and those from IEEE committees of which he is a member), lobbying Congress, and even bringing lawsuits in Federal Court. The fact that BPL still exists and is being deployed is not a reflection of lack of effort by the ARRL, but rather the pragmatic, political reality that the ARRL is not the FCC, nor Congress, nor the Courts, nor a majority of the voting general public, and sometimes gets overruled or ignored on issues related to Part 97 (e.g., 220 MHz reassignment, sharing 440 MHz with other users, submitting SSN's to apply for or renew an amateur radio license, federal pre-emption for local antenna laws, and of course BPL). That's unfortunate, but is representative of the ongoing battles, and the ARRL's contribution to the fight on our behalf.

73, Paul, K3FU
Oct 31st 2011, 23:40

W0BTU

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
Thank you. That's reassuring, Paul. :-)

If it came down to having to put up with BPL or losing some chunks of our bands, I would rather lose frequency allocations. I know that's a hypothetical situation, but the potential consequences of interference from BPL--should it ever be implemented--is that serious.

Keep up the good work!

73, Mike
www.w0btu.com

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