Broadband Over Power Lines vs. Radio Relayers

amaiman writes "Recently, broadband Internet access has been increasing around the country. These broadband signals, while providing Internet access to remote communities that would normally not be able to receive broadband, are causing enormous interference to the radio spectrum. This article details some of the problems, and a video available on the American Radio Relay League's (ARRL) site shows exactly how much interference the broadband power lines can cause. Detailed information is also available on the ARRL site."

Comments

But I thought...

[DAldredge]

But I thought that hams where saying that BPL would destroy radio communication for 100's of miles around? This video only shows the effect when they are very near the powerlines.

They also play word games by saying it is on the agenda at the FCC. On the agenda doesn't mean that they will approve it, it simply means they are looking at it.

Lastly, it doesn't help hams when hams say they will just pump out a 1kw signal to drownout the BPL signal, that action will simply result in the group with the most votes winning, and that isn't the hams.

Re:But I thought...

[TWX]

"Lastly, it doesn't help hams when hams say they will just pump out a 1kw signal to drownout the BPL signal, that action will simply result in the group with the most votes winning, and that isn't the hams."

You forget that amateur radio is the primary user on said frequencies. This means that if their broadcasting interferes with your Part-15 "This device shall make no interference, and this device shall receive interference, even if it causes undesired operation" broadband service, tough shit. This doesn't mean that ham radio operators are out to screw over the world, but many, many operators have very powerful rigs and won't really be very worried if you try to move into their territory on the spectrum.

I wonder if anyone has looked into how this'll affect business band radio, which is often on frequencies near amateur radio. That'll be an interesting one, since those users are specifically granted commercial licenses on those frequencies for communication purposes...

Re:Yet another example...

[danimal67]

I'm disappointed that the FCC even cares about HAM radio operators. FEMA, NTIA, and the Department of Homeland Security have all filed with the FCC proposals 03-104 and 04-37 in favor of BPL if reasonable precautions are taken. These are the govenment agencies HAMs have been saying will be crippled if BPL is deployed. Nowhere in their replies do they spew the doomsday scenarios that HAMs are putting forward to scare people regarding BPL. HAMs love to overstate how critical they are to the communications infrastructure in emergency situations. Nothing I've read yet in reference to emergency situations can replace the following benefits in my mind: BPL can be used by power companies to provide -Intelligent Demand Side Management -Load Switching/Balancing -Fault Locations -Peak Shaving -Power Quality Monitoring -Real-Time Pricing For consumers it can provide -Video on Demand -Content -Alarm Monitoring -Smart Appliances -Broadband -InternetTelephony DS2, a BPL chipset maker has 200mbps chipsets that are working in the field now with a company working with ConEd called Ambient. My point is, even if the HAMs were completely deprived of their use of the HF spectrum (which by every government agency's accounts they won't be), I strongly believe that the benefits of a smarter power grid combined with a third major competitor for broadband outweigh the loss. I am very biased however as I'm heavily invested in Ambient, so take that into account when you read my reply. But look at the FCC replies for yourself to make up your mind before you believe either me or HAM users. Go to http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/comsrch_v2.cgi type in 04-37 or 03-104 in proceeding and educate yourself more about the issue.