[RFI] President Bush's 6/14/04 Speech Lauding BPL

[Eric Rosenberg]

For those of you who are wondering where the adminstration stands on 
BPL, these two items should clarify matters:

The first item is from President Bush's speech delivered at the 
Department of Commerce this afternoon.  I believe the speech followed a 
series of demonstrations of broadband technologies, details of which 
are mentioned by Richard Russell in the second item below.  The 
demonstration area was open to invited guests only.

The entire text of the President's speech can be found on the White 
House website: 
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/06/20040624-7.html
"Thirdly, we want to help consumers find more ways to obtain affordable 
broadband access. I just told you that. I told it to you again. 
(Laughter.)

"Most people who have broadband access now obtain it through a cable 
wire or telephone wire. A small percentage obtain it through a 
satellite. But most of us who have got broadband go through the 
telephone or your cable.

"We need to get broadband to more Americans and so, therefore, I want 
to talk about two other ways to get broadband to the consumer. We need 
to use our power lines better. They go everywhere. It seems to make 
sense, doesn't it, if what you're looking for is avenues into the home. 
Well, electricity goes into the home. And so one great opportunity is 
to spread broadband throughout America via our power lines.

"And one of the problems we've got here is that the Commerce Department 
has had to develop technical standards that will make sure that our 
broadband can go across power lines without unnecessary interference. 
So it's a technological problem. It's a technological issue. It turns 
out that sometimes the competition of broadband and electricity just 
doesn't go too good across one line. And so -- if I could put it in 
simple vernacular. And so, therefore, the Commerce Department is 
helping to sort through these issues so that broadband access will be 
available through -- by our power companies.

"And as I understand it -- as a matter of fact, was shown a little 
thing you plug in your wall that will give you broadband access at 30 
times -- you told me? Sixty times? Sixty times the current speed of a 
dial-up. And that's now available in Cincinnati and parts of Kentucky. 
There's a power company in that part of the world that's been 
innovative, that's diversified the product to the home, and now can 
provide broadband across the electricity lines -- which is a fantastic 
innovation.

"And so our job in government is to help facilitate the use of 
electricity lines by helping with the technological standards that will 
make this more possible. And I want to thank those in the Commerce 
Department who have worked hard to do this.



The second item is from today's "Ask the White House, an online 
interactive forum where you can submit questions to Administration 
officials and friends of the White House".  Richard Russell, Senior 
Director for Technology at the Office of Science and Technology Policy, 
answered questions. Only one was about BPL, which I've attached.  The 
full transcript (including a more detailed description of the 
demonstrations of broadband technologies) can be found 
at:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/ask/20040624.html
"Cynthia, from Fairfax, VA  writes:
I know that the President would like to see Broadband deployed fully 
across the United States and made available to everyone who would like 
to have it. Is the President aware of and supportive of the emerging 
technology, Broadband over Power Lines (BPL)?

"Richard Russell:
Personally, I am energized about Broadband over Power Lines. Today, the 
President spoke about the potential for BPL. The Department of Commerce 
has made over 10 million measurements that will help address 
interference issues associated with BPL. By addressing these issues, we 
hope that Broadband over Power lines can be rolled out responsibly and 
create another broadband channel into the home.



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Eric W3DQ
Washington, DC