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1. Comment - DirecTV Considers Internet Via Power Lines

   (May 26, 2007 - 3:52 AM)

   The "dirty little secret" of typical BPL systems is that because they utilize a transmission process that is legal under the FCC's Part 15 rules, they must ACCEPT any existing interference from licensed radio services. This means that you can't do anything about a Ham radio operator in your neighborhood who LEGALLY is licensed to transmit 1500 watts; and it will CLOBBER your BPL modem. Tests have shown that a Ham transmitter with as little as 4 watts -- less power than a cell phone -- could shut down your BPL internet transmission: and there is NOTHING that can be done to complain, because the Ham was *licensed* to transmit legally, and the BPL system is *unlicensed* and therefore must function in the presence of licensed signals in the SAME frequency domain. Tests of BPL systems have been carefully arranged in neighborhoods WITHOUT amateur radio operators, whose addresses are all available in a public database that anyone can access. So, go ahead: install a BPL service. But, if it just goes dead or becomes intermittent, forget about complaining: it's probably because a Ham operator has driven by, or lives in your area: and the BPL operator has no recourse whatsoever. THIS IS A FACT, not an urban legend! I am a retired broadcast engineer with 27 years in the business of maintaining large market AM and FM broadcast stations. Many problems arise in neighborhoods of local broadcast transmitters, with telephones, stereo systems, PCs, answering machines, intercoms, and TV sets not working correctly due to the strong local radiation from LICENSED stations. Hams use less power than many licensed stations; but if you are close by, you could get much more signal from a Ham set, than from a commercial broadcaster many miles away. And, there are about three-quarters of a million American Hams. So, if you can sign up for a SHORT TERM contract, go ahead: test BPL where you live. But, don't be surprised if the service is FAR less reliable than ADSL or cable Internet...sorry!
   
   Furthermore, economic figures for the installation of long distance BPL systems for rural use are prohibitively expensive, as a multi-thousand-dollar repeater and Internet backbone node must be installed every 600 feet or so on the power line; and expensive equipment must be put in at each transformer to transmit the BPL signal. It will simply be uneconomical to run BPL across all rural lines to serve, say, a customer every few miles or even SEVERAL per mile. BPL is not a "magic" system and involves extremely complex technology, requiring virtually perfect power line maintenance, especially focusing on the cleaning of insulators (which often go dirty in rural areas, causing arcing and noise that will BLANK OUT the weak BPL signals.) Don't hold your breath if you live miles and miles from a local telephone company office, too far for ADSL: BPL will *not* be the answer for rural Internet customers for decades, and -- frankly -- maybe never.
   SRW