[SixClub] BPL Trial in IOWA - SHUTDOWN]

Mon Jul 5 18:41:45 EDT 2004

BIG beams and QRO!!!!!!!!!  ZAP IT!!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rental Cars LLC John Carson" <kd5srw at theshop.net>
To: <sixclub at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, July 05, 2004 3:33 PM
Subject: [SixClub] BPL Trial in IOWA - SHUTDOWN]


> Hi all,
> 
> As we know BPL is on everyones mind these days...here is a bit of what I
> consider good news...
> 
> KILL THE MONSTER, before it grows!!
> 
> 73de kd5srw
> 
> John Carson
> 
> 
> Subject: [OCAPA] BPL Trial in IOWA - SHUTDOWN
>  pm
> To: "OCAPA Reflector" <ocapa at mailman.qth.net>
> 
> 
> ==>UTILITY CUTS SHORT BPL TRIAL THAT WAS TARGET OF AMATEUR COMPLAINTS
> 
> Alliant Energy has called an early end to its broadband over power line
> (BPL) pilot project in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The "evaluation system" went
> live March 30, and plans called for keeping it active until August or
> September. Alliant shut it down June 25. Ongoing, unresolved HF
> interference from the system to retired engineer Jim Spencer, W0SR, and
> other amateurs prompted the ARRL to file a complaint to the FCC on
> Spencer's behalf demanding it be shut down and the utility fined.
> 
> Alliant Energy's BPL Project Leader Dan Hinz says the ARRL complaint
> "certainly was a factor" in the utility's decision to pull the plug
> prematurely but "not the overriding factor." The main reason, he said,
> was that Alliant accomplished most of its objectives ahead of schedule.
> The primary purpose of the Cedar Rapids evaluation was to gain an
> understanding of BPL technology and what issues might be involved in a
> real-world deployment, Hinz explained. But, he added, regulatory
> uncertainty and other unspecified technical issues also factored into
> the choice to end the pilot early.
> 
> Hinz said Alliant is "moshing the data" to compile a written evaluation
> of the Cedar Rapids pilot, but the company has no plans at this point to
> move forward with BPL. Alliant did not partner with a broadband services
> provider, and it has no other BPL test systems in operation. The system
> used Amperion BPL equipment.
> 
> According to Spencer, five fixed Amateur Radio stations within proximity
> of the BPL evaluation system and two mobile stations formally reported
> BPL interference on HF. "The radio amateurs and Alliant Energy
> cooperated by sharing interference information," he said. "Alliant
> Energy turned the BPL evaluation system off twice to allow collection of
> extensive BPL frequency and signal level data--with and without BPL." He
> said Alliant and Amperion tried various "notching" schemes to rid
> amateur frequencies of the BPL interference with only limited success.
> 
> The system included both overhead and underground BPL links to feed 2.4
> GHz wireless "hot spots" for end user access. Hinz said the area's
> topography presented some challenges, especially with the wireless
> links. "I think in the end, we actually over-challenged ourselves with
> this specific pilot location," he said. And, despite "substantial
> progress" in mitigating interference, Alliant decided at this point that
> "it wasn't worth the extra effort" to resolve the thornier technical
> issues, Hinz added.
> 
> As for any broader implications, Hinz says he's always viewed BPL as a
> "strategic deployment technology," not one a company could roll out just
> anywhere and expect to be competitive with existing broadband services
> such as cable and DSL. "At least that's how we were looking at it," he
> said. "You have to find the right areas with the right topography with
> the right concentration of certain types of customers," he said.
> 
> "It's never been in my mind that BPL has to compete with the speeds of
> cable today," Hinz added. "It has to compete with the speeds of cable
> and the next best thing tomorrow as well, if it's going to be usable
> well into the future." He hinted that Alliant might want to take another
> look at BPL once the FCC has put BPL rules and regulations into place,
> and the technology has further evolved.
> 
> The ARRL's formal complaint to FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief David H.
> Solomon called on the Commission not only to close down Alliant's BPL
> field trial system but to fine the utility $10,000 for violating the
> Communications Act of 1934 and FCC Part 15 rules. Commenting on the
> termination of the Cedar Rapids BPL trial, ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ,
> pointed out that Alliant had tried for more than 12 weeks to fix the
> interference problem to a station 600 feet from its installation.
> 
> "In the end," Sumner said, "the interference was not eliminated except
> by shutting down the BPL system. Could the case against BPL deployment
> be any clearer?"
> 
> Spencer said he was happy with Alliant's decision, and he was gracious
> in expressing appreciation to the utility for working with him. "And
> thanks also to the ARRL and the Cedar Rapids BPL Steering Committee for
> their knowledge and efforts in making a truly professional evaluation,"
> he added.
> 
> Still outstanding are some chronic power line noise problems Spencer has
> experienced.
> 
> For additional information, visit the "Broadband Over Power Line (BPL)
> and Amateur Radio" page on the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/bpl>.
> To support the League's efforts in this area, visit the ARRL's secure
> BPL Web site <https://www.arrl.org/forms/development/donations/bpl/>.
> 
> 
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