[Ham-Mac] Inquiry on "Spectrum Pollution" caused by Broadband over Power Line (BPL)

[Richard Kriss]

Help from the Ham-Mac community will be appreciated. Please write your
Congressman.

Dick, AA5VU

------ Forwarded Message
From: Richard Kriss <aa5vu@arrl.net>
Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2003 22:36:03 -0500
To: Coy Day <n5ok@arrl.org>
Cc: "Dr. David A. Woolweaver" <k5rav@arrl.org>
Subject: Inquiry on "Spectrum Pollution" caused by Broadband over Power Line
(BPL)

Coy C. Day, N5OK 
ARRL West Gulf Division Director

The following is an ASCII version of my letter to Senator Hutchison, Rep TX
regarding the Broadband over Power Line (BPL) situation.  I recommend you
include a copy of my letter in one of your email newsletters with a note
that I encourage others concerned about BPL to write their congressman or
senator.  The following is some suggested text I recommend for readers to
consider:

==========
I have read and agree with the Richard M. Kriss letter dated August 8, 2003
to Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.  Please join her office with another
inquiry to the FCC Chairman to assure all of us the new Broadband over Power
Line (BPL) technology will not cause interference to (or be susceptible
from) existing services, including amateur radio bands.
==========

Feel free to add anything else you feel is important but make sure you ask
you representative to do something.

I agree with the ARRL that BPL poses a threat to our hobby and recognize we
are probably being out gunned by the power line industry lobbying for FCC
approval to proceed with BPL.  This train left the station some time ago and
we probably cannot stop the approval; however, we can request some testing
to assure the BPL technology will not causes interference (spectrum
pollution) to our amateur bands.

If you want Amateur Radio to be useful and used, please take the time to
write your Congressman. Like  Prompt action is needed.

73 de Dick, AA5VU

(( ASCII copy of letter emailed on August 7th and mailed on August 8th ))

                                                   Richard M. Kriss
                                                904 Dartmoor Cove
                                                 Austin, Texas 78746
 
August 8, 2003
 
The Honorable Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
284 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-4304
 
Subject: Inquiry on "Spectrum Pollution" caused by Broadband over Power Line
(BPL)
 
Dear Senator Hutchison,
 
This letter is to request your help to sponsor an inquiry into spectrum
pollution associated with the new Broadband over Power Line (BPL) technology
the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is about to approve for use by
the power line industry. Prompt action is needed!
 
The industry plans to use a form of power line carrier (PLC) technology
using existing low and medium-voltage power lines to deliver broadband
(internet) services to homes and businesses. It uses frequencies between 2
MHz and 80 MHz and it has been documented in the ARRL laboratory and in
field tests that BPL causes interference (spectrum pollution) to HF and
low-VHF frequencies currently in use by the Government  (Department of
Defense and Homeland Security), law enforcement agencies, amateur radio and
commercial businesses. Further, the current BPL technology itself may be
susceptible to transmissions from other existing services.
 
On behalf of many I would appreciate a formal inquiry from your office to
the FCC Chairman, Mr. Michael K. Powell, requesting his personal assurance
that adequate testing will be conducted to assure all of us the new
Broadband over Power Line (BPL) technology will not cause interference to
(or be susceptible from) existing services. Please request his personal
assurance in advance of the FCC approval for the power line industry to
proceed with BPL. The BPL industry sponsors are lobbying Congress and the
FCC for fast approval and someone needs to apply brakes to the approval
process to prevent unreal spectrum pollution. We need your help!
 
For more details on this hazardous situation, please have your staff visit
the ARRL web page at
[http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/08/08/2/?nc=1]and listen to the
spectrum pollution recently recorded from one of the FCC test sites. The
ARRL President, Mr. Jim Haynie (who is also a Dallas resident) is prepared
to provide you with more details. He can be reached at 214-366-9400 or
w5jbp@arrl.org.Your support to this request will be appreciated.  I can be
reached at 512-327-9566 or aa5vu@arrl.net
 
Regards,
 
 
 
Richard M. Kriss
FCC Amateur Radio License AA5VU



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