[CW] Fwd: [QRP-L] Good news on BPL

[Ed Tanton]

>Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 13:27:34 -0400
>
>From: Peter Burbank <peterlee at qx.net>
>Subject: [QRP-L] Good news on BPL
>
>
>IT looks like amateur and ARRL efforts are achieving more and more 
>successful results
>despite the Federal Communications Company.
>Pete NV4V
> From the ARRL 
> Newsletter......................................................................................
>
>
>>>===========================================================
>>>
>>>==>BROADBAND PROVIDER TO DROP BPL IN NEW YORK TRIAL COMMUNITY
>>>
>>>The broadband provider that's been testing BPL in the Village of Penn Yan,
>>>New York, reportedly plans to "move away" from that technology. The
>>>Western New York community of some 5000 residents has been considering
>>>various proposals with Data Ventures (DVI) to offer broadband service. A
>>>BPL trial has been underway in Penn Yan for several months. The village
>>>reportedly would get 10 percent of the generated revenue. According to an
>>>article in the July 28 edition of the Finger Lakes Times Online, DVI now
>>>is proposing to employ wireless mesh "WiFi" technology instead of BPL.
>>>ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, congratulated Penn Yan Mayor Douglas G.
>>>Marchionda Jr and DVI for going with wireless broadband instead of BPL.
>>>
>>>"Not only will your citizens receive better service, but a serious radio
>>>spectrum pollution problem has been averted as well," Sumner said in a fax
>>>to Marchionda and to DVI CEO Marc Burling. "We hope that other communities
>>>will be able to profit from your experience." Sumner raised the issue of
>>>interference complaints from the Penn Yan BPL trial with Marchionda last
>>>April.
>>>
>>>The Finger Lakes Times report quotes Burling as saying that his company
>>>didn't feel BPL was "commercially deployable." He also cited issues with
>>>the BPL trial including security concerns and interference--which will not
>>>be an issue with the wireless system.
>>>
>>>Burling told ARRL that the Penn Yan BPL system remains on line but would
>>>be shut down once DVI starts deploying its wireless system. As for BPL,
>>>"We are going to sit back and wait for an official ruling from the FCC and
>>>go from there," Burling added.
>>>
>>>Penn Yan already has rejected two DVI proposals to bring high-speed
>>>Internet service to the community, the newspaper said. Village officials
>>>reportedly met again with DVI representatives this week. DVI is partnering
>>>with Nortel to offer the wireless service.
>>>
>>>In a March 23 article "In This Power Play, High-Wire Act Riles Ham-Radio
>>>Fans," Wall Street Journal reporter Ken Brown described a "firestorm" of
>>>protest from amateurs when Penn Yan approved the BPL test plan.
>>>
>>>ARRL also has learned that Energy East--a cooperative of New York State
>>>Electric & Gas and Rochester Gas & Electric--decided against deploying BPL
>>>in their Western New York service area. Energy East based its decision in
>>>large part on the high levels of radio frequency interference an engineer
>>>and company officials observed during a visit to the Penn Yan field trial.
>>>
>>>On July 29, Grand Haven, Michigan, announced that it had become the first
>>>community in the US to deploy a WiFi network
>>><http://www.ottawawireless.net/about-us/press-room.html> that blankets the
>>>city and up to 15 miles off shore in Lake Michigan with broadband Internet
>>>access.
>>>
>>>For more information on BPL, visit the "Broadband Over Power Line (BPL)
>>>and Amateur Radio" <http://www.arrl.org/bpl/> page on the ARRL Web site.
>>>
>>>==>ARRL SEEKS CLARIFICATION OF FCC RESPONSE TO BPL INTERFERENCE COMPLAINT
>>>
>>>The ARRL wants the FCC to further explain its recent response to a North
>>>Carolina amateur's complaint of BPL interference. FCC Office of
>>>Engineering and Technology (OET) Deputy Chief Bruce A. Franca replied July
>>>22 to an April 27 BPL interference complaint from Thomas A. Brown, N4TAB,
>>>of Wake Forest. Brown had complained of BPL interference to his amateur HF
>>>mobile station emanating from a Progress Energy Corp (PEC) BPL field trial
>>>in the Raleigh area. In his letter, copied to ARRL, Franca said an on-site
>>>investigation had concluded that PEC's BPL trial "is in compliance" with
>>>FCC rules and that the company's ham band notching efforts "are effective"
>>>to avoid the potential for harmful interference. ARRL CEO David Sumner,
>>>K1ZZ, however, cited evidence to the contrary.
>>>
>>>"It is not at all clear that the tests and measurements taken by the FCC .
>>>. . established the absence of harmful interference to licensed stations,"
>>>Sumner responded July 22. He said the League would like the OET to make
>>>its test report available to the general public or at least to the League
>>>for technical review and comment. The ARRL also wants to know what steps
>>>PEC took between April 27 and June 28--when the FCC began its testing--to
>>>address interference complaints from Brown and several other radio
>>>amateurs.
>>>
>>>The FCC defines as "harmful" any interference that "seriously degrades,
>>>obstructs or repeatedly interrupts a radiocommunication service operating
>>>in accordance with the Radio Regulations."
>>>
>>>According to Franca, FCC personnel "undertook extensive testing and
>>>measurements" of the PEC BPL system between June 28 and July 2. The
>>>complainant--Brown--says the FCC delegation never contacted him while it
>>>was in North Carolina. Franca says FCC measurements indicated notch depths
>>>averaging 24 dB below Part 15 emission limits, which he characterized as
>>>"sufficient to eliminate any signals that would be deemed capable of
>>>causing harmful interference, including interference to amateur
>>>operations."
>>>
>>>Franca maintained that "in no instances" were signal levels high enough to
>>>"cause serious degradation, obstruction, or repeated interruption" of
>>>amateur mobile or fixed communications. He conceded, however, that
>>>notching on 10 meters was somewhat less effective at the low end of the
>>>band and said the FCC would instruct PEC and its partner, Amperion, to
>>>widen its notch there.
>>>
>>>Sumner noted that the Part 15 device operators "must eliminate all harmful
>>>interference, and therefore in some cases must achieve more--in certain
>>>cases, considerably more--than a 24 dB reduction in order to be in
>>>compliance." He also cited recent reports from amateurs in the area
>>>indicating that strong BPL interference continues in parts of the PEC
>>>trial zone.
>>>
>>>Sumner told Franca that amateurs in the Raleigh area on July 17 and again
>>>July 22 monitored a BPL signal "at full strength and causing harmful
>>>interference" from 14.290 to 14.350 MHz. "Harmful interference" also was
>>>reported in the first 100 kHz of 15 meters as well as on the WWV/WWVH
>>>frequencies of 15.000 and 20.000 MHz and on several international
>>>broadcasting bands.
>>>
>>>"Even in the notched bands," Sumner said, "the interference was still
>>>evident on ordinary amateur equipment." He said it's clear to ARRL that
>>>the system's Holland Church Road site--where the most recent amateur
>>>measurements were taken--is in violation of Part 15.
>>>
>>>For his part, Brown--an engineer with considerable RF experience--said he
>>>was glad the FCC finally took some action but found some of Franca's
>>>assertions "very troubling." He told ARRL that his 14-page complaint cited
>>>interference "sufficient to mask a weak signal," although it did not
>>>register on his S meter. An active Amateur Radio Emergency Service
>>>District Emergency Coordinator, Brown said it's not unusual to have to
>>>copy similarly weak signals during an HF emergency net.
>>>
>>>"I suspect the principal reason for their coming down here was to say
>>>they've actually done something," Brown commented. He also worried that
>>>the FCC was attempting to define a standard of "acceptable interference"
>>>within the framework of what constitutes "harmful interference."
>>>
>>>"If it interferes, it interferes," he maintained.
>>>
>>>Sumner also requested that the FCC clarify some additional aspects of its
>>>North Carolina testing and measurement activities.
>>>
>>>"Until these points can be clarified," he concluded, "we trust that the
>>>Commission will not permit its conclusion to be erroneously represented as
>>>having given the Progress Energy trials a 'clean bill of health.'"
>
>
>
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73 Ed Tanton N4XY <n4xy at earthlink.net>

Ed Tanton N4XY
189 Pioneer Trail
Marietta, GA 30068-3466

website: http://www.n4xy.com

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