[TenTec] Broadband over Powerline (BPL)

[Arthur Bernstein]

Dear Mr. President,
I'm writing to you today because I am very concerned about an issue that 
 may have numerous negative ramifications for us as a nation.
Specifically, there is in the works, a new technology called Broadband 
over Powerlines or BPL, for short. As you are probably aware, the 
premise behind this technology is the easy and allegedly economical 
access to the Internet for those in this country who are not served by 
high speed Internet services such as cable or DSL.
Coming from a technical background, I have come to discover that this 
technology,  wherein broadband signals carrying Internet activity will 
be transmitted over exposed power lines, is indeed a faulty and ill 
conceived technology. It is a technology that HAS BEEN SHOWN to produce 
wideband and indeed potentially wideranging  interference to 
communications systems, be they military, commercial, public safety 
(such as FEMA), amateur and others. This interference is not to taken 
lightly. In these days of national vigilance against our enemies from 
abroad, we DO NOT need any aiding or abetting our enemies from within 
our borders! This technology WILL compromise communications systems due 
to the interference it creates. This interference will mask the 
intelligibility of urgent signals. Basically BPL is an unlicensed 
 system  creating interference to licensed services (Part 15.) Notching 
or selective filtering of these signals has not been shown to be 
effective. Furthermore, the maintenance and upkeep for preventing 
interfernece to other services would be a monumental and not economical 
process. Ignoring this fact will be disasterous!! Whatever economic 
gains there might be for the power companies involved, are far 
overshadowed by the detriment offered to National Security. This is  
very short sighted in its scope. It is my feeling that too many people 
in government, including FCC Commissioner Powell, are just not attuned 
to the technical side and instead have been locked into the potential 
economic gains of this technology. Regarding economics, it appears that 
the startup and maintenance costs for this technology will be 
considerable. In order to be competitive with other Internet services, 
these costs will have to be absorbed some place. Surely NOT by the 
subscribers. In all liklihood, the costs will be passed on to the 
ratepayers of electric service, whether they use BPL or not. Now that's 
just NOT fair. It's UN AMERICAN!
Mr. President, my voice is a small one. There are over 293 million small 
voices in this great land. Let's preserve our national security and 
great nation.
God Bless.
Sincerely,
Arthur Bernstein