[RFI] UK Industry Reaction to the NTIA report

[Eric Rosenberg]

Reaction to the NTIA report from the May, 2004 newsletter of the United 
Telecom Council,  the UK's  "Telecommunications and Information 
Association for Utility, Energy and other Critical Infrastructure 
Companies"   <http://www.utc.org/>
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<http://www.utctelecom2004.utc.org/> UTC - Your Industry Trade 
Association

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NTIA BPL Study Is Good News, Bad News


Late Tuesday, the National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration (NTIA) released its study on the interference potential 
of broadband over power line (BPL) system operations to federal 
government communications in the high frequency (HF) bands. The NTIA 
recognizes that President Bush has "established the bold goal of 
universal and affordable broadband access for every American by 2007," 
and has called for "technical standards that make possible new 
broadband technologies, such as the use of high-speed communications 
directly over powerlines." The NTIA study also indicated agreement with 
the FCC that BPL can be deployed using the existing emission limits. 
But, it states that existing Part 15 measurement guidelines 
"significantly underestimate peak field strength," and the study does 
"not recommend that the FCC relax the Part 15 field strength limits for 
BPL systems."

Instead, NTIA recommended several new measurement guidelines: 1) 
measure emissions at power line height; 2) measure at a uniform 
distance of 10 meters from the BPL device and power lines; and 3) 
measure using a calibrated rod antenna or a loop antenna in connection 
with appropriate factors relating magnetic and electric field strength 
levels. In addition, the NTIA wants "exceptional protection" (e.g. 
notching) for 41 frequencies (4.2 MHz of spectrum total) amounting to 
5.4% of the 1.7-80 MHz frequency range in which BPL operates. Finally, 
the report recommended that BPL interference can be prevented or 
eliminated by mandatory registration of certain parameters of planned 
or deployed BPL systems; and by routine use of minimum output power, 
using filters and terminations to extinguish BPL signals on power lines 
where they are not needed, and judicious choice of BPL signal 
frequencies to reduce radiation.

For more information, please contact the UTC Legal/Regulatory 
Department.