[RFI] Recent BPL Comments

[Pete Smith]

Reading recent public statements on BPL from the President, UPLC and ARRL, 
unlike some other people I am immensely encouraged.  Three months ago 
interference to and from BPL wasn't even mentioned at the top level of our 
government; today the President declares the intention to make sure BPL and 
other services can coexist, in the rules to be adopted.  UPLC panics and 
begins throwing bricks; this strikes me as the response of someone who 
knows they are losing.  Meanwhile ARRL reports the collapse of the 
Manassas, VA experiment.

The fact is that BPL can be made benign vis-a-vis licensed services, but 
only by fencing off so much of the spectrum (and otherwise protecting 
licensed services) that it will not be able to deliver on its promise of 
high-speed internet service at a cost competitive with other delivery 
systems.  With WiMax perhaps only a year away, why would any rational 
company management invest in BPL now?

I think what we are witnessing is a broad-band exercise in face-saving.  It 
may be premature to rejoice, but I think they're on the run.

73, Pete N4ZR
The World HF Contest Station Database
was updated on June 5, 2004
2728 contest stations at
www.pvrc.org/WCSD/WCSDsearch.htm