[ADXA] BPL Update (It is NOT in Arkansas)

[Lenny]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "ARRL AR Section" <memberlist at www.arrl.org>
To: <k5ovc at sbcglobal.net>
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2008 9:46 AM
Subject: BPL Update (It is NOT in Arkansas)


> Many of you have been reading about the IBM BPL deal announced
> Wednesday. The system DOES NOT use amateur frequencies according to
> W1RFI at HQ; hence I am forwarding this from the ARRL:
> 
> 
> 
> On Wednesday, November 12, IBM announced that it has signed a $9.6
> million deal with International Broadband Electric Communications
> (IBEC) to install equipment and provide BPL service to almost 350,000
> homes in Alabama, Indiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and
> Wisconsin. According to the Associated Press, IBEC Chief Executive
> Scott Lee said the network, which will be funded by $70 million in
> low-interest federal loans from the Department of Agriculture, should
> be in place in about two years. IBEC currently provides broadband to
> only about 1400 customers, most of them beginning to receive service in
> the past 18 months.
> 
> "IBEC's equipment doesn't use the ham bands," said BPL expert and ARRL
> Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, "making it less likely that they
> will have any interference complaints from amateurs. Their equipment,
> however, does interfere with shortwave broadcast and other spectrum,
> but in the US, not many users have complained. IBM has been in the BPL
> business for a few years now, so this venture is nothing new for them."
> IBEC staff member Brent Zitting, KB4SL, serves as a member of ARRL's
> EMC Committee.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There are NO plans for any deployments in Arkansas according to AEC and
> Entergy as of yesterday.  Again the IBEC system does NOT utilize
> amateur frequencies. Keep your ears and eyes open; forward anything
> else you may hear on BPL or any other RFI issues in Ark. to me or
> WB5FDP!  
> 
> 73
> 
> DE K5UZ
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> ARRL Arkansas Section
> Section Manager: David A. Norris, K5UZ
> k5uz at arrl.org
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