[K3PZN-List] FCC Releases Hundreds of Pages of Additional BPL Data and Filings

[Al Bisasky K3ZE]

This is from the ARRL website www.arrl.org.

NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 7, 2005--The FCC has made public more than 650 pages of
technical presentations, correspondence and filings that it says it used in
making its decision on the BPL Report and Order in ET Docket 04-37. The
Commission adopted new rules to govern so-called Access Broadband over Power
Line systems on October 14, but they have not yet become effective. The ARRL
subsequently filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request that called
on the FCC to release any studies the Commission had relied upon in deciding
to embrace the technology. Some information contained in the documents has
been blanked out or redacted.

"Certain portions of those presentations have been redacted, as they
represent preliminary or partial results or staff opinions that were part of
the deliberative process," FCC Office of Engineering and Technology
Associate Chief Bruce Romano said in a cover letter releasing the
documentation December 22. "Moreover, the redacted information was not
relied on by the Commission in making its decision," Among the FCC
Laboratory presentation charts the FCC redacted was one titled "New
Information Arguing for Caution on HF BPL."

The documentation includes presentations and graphs resulting from field
tests of BPL trials in Allentown, Pennsylvania; Potomac, Maryland;
Briarcliff Manor, New York, and Wake County, North Carolina. The North
Carolina trial has since been discontinued. The tests, conducted by Steve
Martin and Andy Leimer of the FCC Laboratory's Technical Research Branch,
looked at BPL technology by Amperion, Current Technologies, Ambient
Technologies and Main.Net.

The ARRL is continuing to review the extensive documentation in detail.
Among those involved in the process is ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare,
W1RFI, who maintains that the FCC documents tend to back up assertions the
League made in its filings in the proceeding.

"The FCC reports clearly show that BPL operating at the FCC Part 15 emission
limits generates a strong RF signal for long distances along overhead power
lines," Hare said. "The FCC data showed noise that was many decibels above
otherwise quiet ambient noise levels."

Hare said that even in spectrum notched out by BPL system providers, the
FCC-provided reports indicate a measurable increase in noise levels that
would "obstruct many of the signals that amateur operators routinely use for
radio communication."

Some 150 pages of the documentation consisted of technical material and
presentations by FCC staffers, including Martin and Leimer. The remaining
500 or so pages include correspondence, technical reports and interference
complaints from radio amateurs to the FCC. Falling into the last category is
extensive correspondence involving the Alliant Energy BPL field trial in
Cedar Rapids, Iowa. That pilot project was abandoned after difficulties in
resolving interference issues with local radio amateurs proved
insurmountable.

The FCC just this week provided additional spreadsheet data to ARRL. By
releasing the information, the FCC made it part of the official record in
the proceeding. The Commission posted some, but not all, of the BPL-related
material on its Electronic Comment Filing System under the proceeding
number, ET Docket 04-37. The FCC provided additional material to ARRL under
separate cover.

FCC OET Official says Amateurs, BPL Can Coexist (I wonder what this guy's
been smokin'?)