[KCDXC] FCC Okays BPL Proposal

[Mike ZooLoo]

FCC Okays BPL Proposal; ARRL Officials Express
Disappointment
 
NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 12, 2004--The FCC today agreed
unanimously--with one partial dissent--to go forward
with a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) on the
subject of 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
more than 5100 comments--many from the amateur
community. The FCC did not propose any changes in Part
15 rules governing unlicensed devices, but said it
would require BPL providers to apply "adaptive"
interference mitigation techniques to their systems.
An ARRL delegation attended the FCC open meeting in
Washington, and League President Jim Haynie, W5JBP,
expressed disappointment with the FCC's decision. 

"I had hoped the FCC would have shown a greater depth
of understanding of the issue," he said. Haynie also
said he was dumfounded that FCC staff and some
commissioners continued to tout BPL as a broadband and
Internet solution for rural dwellers when "the
economic reality of that possibility speaks for
itself." Haynie said the FCC seemed to be echoing BPL
industry publicity. 

The FCC has not yet released the details of the NPRM,
and a presentation by the FCC's Office of Engineering
and Technology (OET) revealed only its broad outlines.
But ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, said the Commission's
own presentation and the individual FCC members'
comments demonstrated to him that the NPRM should have
cut the permissible emission limits under Part 15. 

"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." 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 procedures and systems. Sumner said the
League cannot take a formal position until it reviews
the full NPRM. 

Anh Wride of the OET staff outlined 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. 

"We also recognize the concerns of licensed radio
service users regarding the potential for interference
due to operations of BPL systems, and that these
licensed operations must be protected," Wride said.
"The staff believes, however, that these interference
concerns can be adequately addressed." 

She said the proposal would require that BPL systems
"be able to modify their operation to mitigate any
interference that might occur." The NPRM also would
impose identification requirements on BPL providers to
aid in interference mitigation. 

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 BPL systems to eliminate any
harmful interference that may occur "and must cease
operation if they cannot," Wride said. 

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," Wride said. This would alleviate
site-specific interference concerns, she added. 

Subjects BPL providers to notification requirements
similar to those now required for power-line carrier
systems. This would establish a public database to
include such information as the location of BPL
devices, modulation type and operating frequencies. 

Proposes guidelines to measure the RF emissions of BPL
and other carrier-current systems. "These guidelines
would ensure that measurements of the emissions from
such systems are made in a consistent manner with
repeatable results for determining compliance with the
rules," Wride said. This also would aid in evaluating
interference sources and applying "appropriate
interference mitigation measures," she added. 
FCC Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy, already on record
as an avid BPL supporter, said the Commission was
"proceeding cautiously in order to minimize the
potential for harmful interference." Abernathy asked
OET Chief Edmond Thomas to describe a likely
interference scenario and "how it might play out" in
terms of the NPRM's interference mitigation
provisions. 

Thomas said that because BPL systems would have to be
registered, it would be easy to determine if one were
in operation in the complainant's vicinity. "If the
answer is yes, they report the interference to the
provider," Thomas continued. "The provider has the
capability to adjust his power and the frequency of
operation to mitigate the interference." 

Thomas said that in most such circumstances, the BPL
provider--as a Part 15 user--would "notch out the
frequencies that are offending." 

Commissioner Kevin Martin called BPL "an exciting
technology," and added, "I appreciate the sensitivity
that we're trying to exhibit to the concerns about
potential interference, particularly for the
government operations that have been raised by FEMA." 

Commissioner Michael Copps said the FCC still faces
some difficult questions, including how to handle
cross-subsidization between regulated power businesses
and unregulated communications businesses. "Is it
right to allow electricity ratepayers to pay higher
bills each month to subsidize and electric company's
foray into broadband?" he asked his colleagues. Copps
dissented in part on his approval of the NPRM. 

Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said he's been
impressed by the potential of BPL technology and
thinks the rules changes the FCC is proposing will
"promote future deployment of this kind of service."
Adelstein said, however, that it's crucial that the
Commission address technical issues such as
interference. 

"I think we need to be mindful of harmful
interference, but we can't let unsupported claims
stand in the way of this kind of innovation,"
Adelstein said. "We need to do everything we can to
move this forward." Adelstein was not specific in his
reference to "unsupported claims." 

Chairman Michael Powell called BPL "tremendously
exciting." While conceding that BPL has "a long way to
go," the chairman said it also could be "the great
broadband hope for a good part of rural America."
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 is expected to issue the complete Notice of
Proposed Rule Making within a few days and will invite
comments on it sometime after its publication. 

Additional information about BPL and Amateur Radio is
on the ARRL Web site. To support the League's efforts
in this area, visit the ARRL's secure BPL Web site. 

__________________________________
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