[SCCC] Re: FCC Accepting Comments on Broadband over Power Line Technology

[Michael Tope]

Hi All,

Just a quick reminder that the FCC is still accepting public
comments in response to their Notice of Inquiry (NOI) on
Broadband over Powerline (BPL) technology.  While a
number of you have already submitted some very thoughtful
comments, we could still use a few more. So far, a total of
only about 1000 comments have been filed in response to
this NOI. While many of these comments have been from
radio amateurs, this is still represents only a tiny fraction
of the ham community. Please take a few minutes to make
your voices heard with the FCC. The deadline for comments
from the public in this proceeding is July 7, 2003.

A paragraph or two, addressing one or two points in the NOI
is better than several pages of emotional ranting.  Please
cite the part of the NOI you are commenting on to show that
you have read it, and include whatever sources or experiences
you have had to support your statement(s).  These are the
kinds of educated comments that will command attention.
Avoid statements that are irrational, unsupportable and
subjective (name calling, simply telling the FCC that BPL is
stupid, etc.).  Save your venting for your favorite 75 or 2
meter watering hole. By the way, don't file your comments
multiple times  as some have done - this is not a state of
Florida election.

If you haven't read the NOI, you can download a copy at the
following link:

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-03-100A1.doc

You can view comments already filed in response to this
NOI at the following webpage:

http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/comsrch_v2.cgi

If you type "03-104" in the "Proceeding" field and then
hit the "Retrieve Document List" button at the bottom, you
will bring up a list of all of the comments filed in response
to the BPL NOI.

You can electronically file your comments at the following
link:

http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/upload_v2.cgi

Just follow the instructions found on this webpage.

This technology is a very real interference threat to the HF
bands and the lower VHF spectrum. Please take a few
minutes to respond.

Thanks and 73,

Mike Tope, W4EF....................................................



----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Tope" <W4EF at dellroy.com>
To: <jplarc at wr6jpl.ampr.org>; <citarc at its.caltech.edu>;
<sccc at contesting.com>
Cc: "N6VI" <n6vi at earthlink.net>
Sent: Sunday, May 18, 2003 8:45 PM
Subject: FCC Accepting Comments on Broadband over Power Line Technology


> I urge everyone who has any interest in HF communications to
> file comments with the FCC in response to their notice of
> inquiry (NOI) on Broadband Powerline Communications.
> For those who are not familiar with it, BPL is a system whereby
> existing low and medium voltage power transmission lines
> will be used to deliver broadband data services to households.
> The system is seen by many in the telecommunications industry
> as very attractive since it uses existing power line infrastructure
> rather than requiring new fibers, coax, or twisted pairs to be
> strung. The problem with the system is that power transmission
> lines are only really good transmission lines at 60 hertz. At HF
> frequencies where the new system would operate, they start to
> look like pretty good antennas.
>
> Studies by ARRL indicate that If BPL is allowed to deploy in the
> United States under the current FCC part 15 rules, it could easily
> mean S9 + level broadband interference from 2 to 30 MHz in all
> Metropolitan areas where BPL penetration is heavy. The Japanese
> have managed to prevent BPL from being adopted in Japan
> through a concerted effort on the part of JA amateurs. Once this
> genie is out of the bottle, it will be very hard to put it back in. The
> consortium that is behind this technology is backed by a number
> of top U.S. telecom manufacturers and they appear to have the ear
> of the FCC chairman, Michael Powell, a number of the FCC
> commissioners, as well as the NTIA administrator. The BPL industry
> will try to skirt the interference issue as this is its Achilles heal, so
> its important that amateurs make their concerns about interference
> known to the FCC.
>
> If you have any interest at all in HF communications I again urge
> you to file comments in response to the FCC NOI.  BTW there
> is also some indication that BPL proponents are eying lower
> VHF up to about 80 MHz as well, so don't think that this won't
> effect you if your VFO never gets lower than 50 MHz. The filing
> deadline will probably be sometime in mid-June (the exact date
> is 45 days after the NOI is published in the Federal register).
>
> For instruction on how to respond to the NOI, see the last few
> paragraphs of the following article:
>
> http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/05/08/3/?nc=1
>
> For more information on BPL, check out the following webpage
> from ARRL:
>
> http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/
>
> Ed Hare's report to the IEEE C63 EMC standards group on
> BPL gives a good technical overview of the interference potential:
>
> http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/files/C63NovPLC.pdf
>
> Finally if you have access to IEEE publications, the April issue
> of the IEEE Communications Magazine, has 5 articles on BPL
> technology.
>
> 73 de Mike,
> W4EF..................................................................
>