[Premium-Rx] Power Line Communications

[Carcia, Frank A. HS]

    Check out the ARRL WEB site for a link to the FCC to voice your bribe to
the FCC. This is like running sewage down an open trench. I have never seen
anything this stupid. I think we may be screwed here based on the history of
the clown in
    charge with broadcasting ownership.  WA1GFZ    

-----Original Message-----
From: Greg W. Bailey [mailto:gbailey at mail.sdsu.edu]
Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2003 2:50 PM
To: premium-rx at ml.skirrow.org
Subject: [Premium-Rx] Power Line Communications


Fellow Members:
 
List member JOHN CUNDIFF (KA3WSR) has forwarded the following to me to see
if it warrants being posted to the List.  
 
The topic is PLC (Power Line Communications) and is written by Bruno Bossert
[comalto at bluewin.ch], HB9QO.  Bruno is not a member of the Premium-Rx List,
but we thought his post to another newsgroup was worthy for repeating here.

 
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Here is the Post >>>>>>>>>>>>>

...... One of them I would like to throw into this new forum.  It concerns us
all, CW lovers, SSBers, Packeteers, Amtorers, PSK31ers all alike.  It is the
proposed use of the HF Spectrum by PLC (Power Line Communications).
Presently measurements and tests are carried out in several countries of
Europe and , I believe, also elsewhere. In short for those who have never
heard of it: It is a proposed broadband link between the Telecom Branch
Exchange (Central Office) and the subscriber using the 230/415 Volt Power
distribution Network as a data transport medium. Several US chip
manufacturers and Siemens have developed chipsets for such equipment. Most
of them work, I understand, on the spread spectrum principle. Broadband
means 0.1.....30 MHz, exactly where we are.
 
Measurements in Germany have shown that a cloud of broadband noise covering
the whole HF-Spectrum made short-wave reception impossible within about 100m
of a power line carrying such data. A further danger that is lurking is ADSL
and XDSL: High speed communication on the ordinary unscreened 'phone lines.
ADSL uses the spectrum to about 2 MHz and will certainly blot out 160m
operation. XDSL again uses the spectrum between 1 and 30 MHz.
 
In my opinion the dangerous threats to amateur radio activities will come
from this corner and not from the apparent obsolescence of Morse Code. A CW
man will always find a way to communicate in a spectrum shared with other
narrowbanded users. If we have to cope with broadband noise however, things
are getting difficult. We then would have to go broadband as well i.e. use
the same techniques. Evidently this would kill Morse Code and SSB. Only
digital communication would be possible.

It will have to be decided by the society and the political bodies in the
countries affected whether it will be possible or not to wipe out radiated
HF communication in favor of commercial interests to establish yet another
type of so called "last mile" link. Since we are also part of the society we
must take a firm stand and fight for our share of the spectrum. Rumors are
around that the HF-Spectrum could be auctioned like other spectra and our
fraternity would definitely fall short in a competitive bidding that
involves billions of $ or £ or whatever.
 
I feel that this is the first real serious threat ever the HF spectrum is
confronted with. I would like to hear /read about the situation in other
countries. Any info and comment would be welcome.
 
>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<
 
Does any of our Premium members have some additional or background
information about this ?
 
Greg
San Diego
 
Jan
Duncan, BC, Canada

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