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Utility Cuts Short BPL Trial

Posted by timothy on from the bzzzzzzt dept.

fatboy writes "The ARRL is reporting that Alliant Energy has called an early end to its broadband over power line (BPL) pilot project in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The "evaluation system" went live March 30, and plans were for it to remain active until August or September. Alliant shut it down June 25. Ongoing, unresolved HF interference from the system to retired engineer Jim Spencer, W0SR, and other amateurs prompted the ARRL to file a complaint to the FCC on Spencer's behalf demanding it be shut down."

9 of 239 comments (clear)

  1. man, be must be buzzed... by cliveholloway · · Score: 4, Funny

    "unresolved HF interference from the system to retired engineer Jim Spencer"

    It must be bad if poor old Jim was interfered with.

    cLive ;-)

    --
    -- Trinity in high heels carrying a whip: The donimatrix - there is no spoonerism
    1. Re:man, be must be buzzed... by AdrainB · · Score: 2, Funny

      That's funny. When I think of broad band I think of the Go-Gos and The Bangles.

  2. As a fellow Coast to Coast listener by mcpkaaos · · Score: 4, Funny

    You got all of that from Art Bell you big faker! ;-)

    --
    It goes from God, to Jerry, to me.
  3. Re:Why am I totally unsurprised? by Kris_J · · Score: 4, Funny
    You can adapt a car to travel on water, but the result is expensive and technically poor.
    Won't stop Branson trying to break a record in it though.

    Just because something's hard doesn't mean it shouldn't be done. Otherwise, why would you go to the moon or do those other things?

  4. Re:As I've stated before... by DigiShaman · · Score: 2, Funny

    Doh!!! I ment Jun 20th. *sigh* It's 2:36am, forgive me.

    --
    Life is not for the lazy.
  5. They should have known better... by taped2thedesk · · Score: 4, Funny

    If BPL was possible, it'd be in SimCity.

  6. Twisted pair... by evilviper · · Score: 3, Funny

    I think we all know what this means. Some poor sucker is going to have to go out and start twistng power lines together, to get a pair... Pretty soon, it'll be "PowerLinesTx"

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    Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
  7. so in other words.... by bani · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...they lied to you

  8. Re:As a UK radio ham by autophile · · Score: 2, Funny
    large bandwidth over this kind of wires cause interference to just about everything, not just few hobbists.

    Nasty hobbists! Greedy hobbists! Smeagol should KILL the nasty hobbistses!

    --Rob

    --
    Towards the Singularity.