Utility Cuts Short BPL Trial

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."

Comments

No One Ever Tells Us Anything

[alanhyee]

I happen to live in the Cedar Rapids/Marion area and I didn't even know this was there. Why doesn't anyone tell us anything?! It would be an alternative to Mediacom and Qwest.

As a UK radio ham

[CountBrass]

I'm incredibly glad to hear this. BPL has the potential to kill ham radio (and actually lot's of other HF radio services) as it uses HT powerlines that were not intended to carry HF signals and act as really excellent antenna (in fact the US Navy uses them to transmit extremly low frequency/long wavelength signlas to its submerged subs! So we know they work as antenna!)

I'm also glad the FCC isn't actually as big a patsy of the BPL industry as it first appeared. Cheers to the FCC and let's hope this is the first nail in the coffin of a truly bad idea.

As an aside: I hope this discourages the power industry muppets in the UK from trying the same thing.

Re:As a UK radio ham

[FireFury03]

I hope this discourages the power industry muppets in the UK from trying the same thing.

AFAIK BPL was already tried and rejected in the UK for exactly these reasons a couple of years ago.

Re:As a UK radio ham

[stiggle]

The right of way only exists for the power lines.
It does not exist to pull fibre or install any equipement not related to the transmission of the power.

Energis found this in the UK when some farmers actually knew their rights and stopped them working on putting their fibre on the high voltage transmission lines.

Re:As a UK radio ham

[ross.w]

Optus and Telstra did this in Sydney with cable TV.

Lots of public protest about the extra overhead cabling forced them to stop, and now they aren't doing any new suburbs, because underground is too expensive, so those of us who live there have to use satellite TV and ADSL.

In Canberra, TransACT have put fibre to your house strung on poles as well. Although the poles in Canberra are at the back of people's houses, not the front, so no-one seems to object. Again though, new suburbs with underground power don't get it for a long time yet.

That was dumb...

[Shirloki]

I remember something like this being tried about 5 years ago. It had the amateur radio community in an uproar. Something to do with street lights re-radiating the high-speed internet data in the form of electromagnetic energy. Apparently they did little to fix it. Shame; I wanted to be the first one on my block to have the other cable.

Weird coincidence

[farmhick]

I just received my July 2004 issue of PC World today, and glanced thru it. This exact project was mentioned, on page 36. I wonder if this will become a collector's item now. ;^)

The last paragraph is quite telling actually:

Another hurdle: BPL may interfere with radio signals. The Federal Communications Commission is considering rules to forestall such problems, but those rules won't be finalized for months.

That BPL means 'Broadband over Power Line', by the way.

Re:They already have fiber

[thogard]

What neutral wire?
Neutral, ground ... its all the same with 3 phase. When you look at the 3 wires, you will find a forth ground line above them all that should take the volts of a lightning strike and it helps the real big circut breakers work right when there is a major problem with a tower. The ground line is what they hang the fiber off of and some places have a coax like shield thats the ground path around the fiber.

The problem is fiber doesn't like the wind action on poles and lots of that dark fiber is good for the distance between the poles and no longer.

It's not just in Iowa.

[AgTiger]

ARRL Takes Issue with Public Funding of New York BPL Project

See Alan Crosswell's site for more information on BPL interference in his area.

All it takes is one location to roll out BPL, and the HF band is affected world-wide.

I predict the following:

1. BPL will eventually be regulated out of existence in the USA (by the FCC) and in Canada (by Industry Canada) due to the provable interference with the HF bands. This will not be just due to interference with ham operators - militaries still use the HF band.
2. Manufacturers of BPL equipment, and the companies that developed the technologies therein, will be desperate to recoup costs. They won't want to see zero return on investment, or get stuck with an inventory that now is only suitable to be landfilled. They will turn an eye to selling in foreign markets, focussing on countries with less laws and regulation regarding spectrum management.
3. A power utility company in one of these countries will bite, purchase, and roll out BPL.
4. The ensuing interference will affect the HF band world-wide.
5. There will be much bitter complaining from those suffering the HF interference, but in the end, they will either find a way around it, or they will effectively lose the use of the band.
6. Assuming the HF band becomes unusable world-wide due to foreign run BPL installations, there will be great pressure on the FCC to drop any domestic prohibition on the technology, and allow full roll-out here.

Before anyone says how heartless I am to those poor ham radio operators: I am one. I'm just a realist.