[ARRL-OK] FCC Proposes to give go-ahead to BPL

[D C Macdonald]

----Original Message Follows----
From: ocapa@juno.com
To: OCAPA@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [OCAPA] FCC Proposes to give go-ahead to BPL
Date: Mon, 16 Feb 2004 05:43:35 -0600


Excerpt from:

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 23, No. 07
February 13, 2004
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +FCC proposes to give the go-ahead to BPL

+Available on ARRL Audio News

===========================================================
NOTE:  ARRL Headquarters will be closed February 16:  ARRL
Headquarters will be closed Monday, February 16, for the
Presidents' Day holiday.  There will be no W1AW code
practice or bulletin transmissions that day.  ARRL
Headquarters will reopen Tuesday, February 17, at 8 AM
Eastern Time.
===========================================================

==>FCC OKAYS BPL PROPOSAL

The FCC has unanimously approved a Notice of Proposed Rule
Making (NPRM) to deploy Broadband over Power Line (BPL).
The NPRM is the next step in the BPL proceeding, which began
last April with a Notice of Inquiry that attracted nearly 5200
comments--many from the amateur community.  The FCC
did not propose any changes in emission limits for unlicensed
Part 15 devices, but said it would require BPL providers to apply
"adaptive" interference mitigation techniques to their systems.
An ARRL delegation that attended the February 12 FCC open
meeting in Washington later expressed disappointment in the
FCC action.

"The Commission clearly recognized that the existing Part 15
emission limits are inadequate to stop interference," Sumner
said," but it's placing the burden of interference mitigation on
the licensed user that's supposed to be protected," said ARRL
CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ.

Sumner said that if the FCC really believed current Part 15
emission limits were sufficient, it would not have had to require
that BPL providers institute interference mitigation systems.  The
FCC has not yet released the actual NPRM, and a presentation
by the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology (OET)
revealed only its broad outlines.  Sumner said the League would
not take a formal position until it reviews the full NPRM.

Anh Wride of the OET staff spelled out the scope of the NPRM,
which only addresses so-called "access BPL"--the type that would
apply radio frequency energy to exterior overhead and underground
low and medium-voltage power lines to distribute broadband and
Internet service.  She said the OET staff believes that interference
concerns "can be adequately addressed." Wride said the FCC's BPL
NPRM:

* Applies existing Part 15 emission limits for unlicensed carrier-current
systems to BPL systems. Part 15 rules now require that BPL systems
eliminate any harmful interference that may occur "and must cease
operation if they cannot," she noted.

* Requires BPL systems to employ "adaptive interference-mitigation
techniques, including the capabilities to shut down a specific device,
to reduce power levels on a dynamic or remote-control basis and to
include or exclude specific operating frequencies or bands."

* Subjects BPL providers to notification requirements that would
establish a public database that would include the location of BPL
devices, modulation type and operating frequencies.

* Proposes guidelines to provide for consistent and repeatable
measurement of the RF emissions from BPL and other carrier-current
systems.

Mirroring his colleagues' enthusiasm, FCC Chairman Michael Powell
called BPL "tremendously exciting," although he conceded that BPL
has "a long way to go."  Powell also said the FCC's OET has worked
very hard to try to "get their hands around" the issue of interference
and that the FCC would continue its vigilance in that area.

The FCC has posted additional information, including a public notice

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-243879A1.doc

on its Web site. The Commission is expected to issue the complete
Notice of Proposed Rule Making within a few days and will invite
comments on it sometime after publication.

Additional information about BPL and Amateur Radio is on the ARRL
Web site

http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/

To support the League's efforts in this area, visit the ARRL's secure
BPL Web site

https://www.arrl.org/forms/development/donations/bpl/

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