[RFI] More Thoughts on BPL

[Pete Smith]

At 11:15 PM 5/23/2004, Ed -K0iL wrote:
>This could even happen at a public power company not allowed to compete in
>non-electric utility matters.  And once the BPL company goes broke, the
>power company could buy the infrastructure for pennies on the dollar and
>place it back into service providing energy related services such as
>Automated Meter Reading, Load Mgmt, etc... so even if BPL fails floowing a
>large roll-out that might not be the end of it.

In reading comments on the FCC NPRM, I noted that some companies that are 
explicitly in the business of providing hardware for managing power 
distribution systems through carrier current (PLC) technology complained 
that the NPRM did not make a distinction between their services and Access 
BPL's provision of Internet services to consumers.  I had understood that 
the management-type systems operated at VLF (wasn't that why the request 
for a new amateur band down there was refused?) and did not require a ton 
of transformer-by-transformer infrastructure to operate.  Anyone 
knowledgeable about such systems who can comment?

More in the vein of a response to Eric's comments, I can readily accept 
that this initiative is primarily driven by ideology.  That has to be it, 
because the technological and financial merits sure don't explain it.  What 
should be immensely disquieting to us all is that the FCC's NPRM 
demonstrates such a profound lack of understanding of the technical issues.


73, Pete N4ZR
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