Broadband Over Powerlines
The FCC has endorsed BPL (Broadband over Power Lines) as a new method of delivering network connectivity. At least this way, some folks I know that live WAY out in the “boonies” can finally get high speed Internet!
FCC Endorses Broadband over Powerline
“The Federal Communications Commission on Friday gave a big boost to Broadband over Powerline (BPL), classifying the technology as an ‘information service.’ The declaration places BPL-enabled access services on equal footing with cable modem and DSL Internet access services. The FCC has campaigned for BPL approval for years, although ham radio operators have long complained that BPL would interfere with its service. By ruling BPL service’s transmission component is ‘telecommunications,’ and an ‘information service,’ BPL will find it easier to deploy beyond the handful of networks that are currently scattered around the country, mostly in the Northeast. ‘The Commission’s broadband statistics show that subscribers to BPL Internet access services, although few in number overall, increased by nearly 200 percent in 2005,’ said FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, who has been a supporter of the technology. ‘By finding that BPL Internet access services are information services, the Commission provides the regulatory certainty necessary to foster competition between different broadband platform providers.'”
BPL is ridiculously stupid. Mainly because due to the fact that it’s not shielded wiring, if you transmit data on it, you’re blasting RF all over the place. So far, people are saying that they’ll put band pass filters on the ends, but that does nothing to RF spray.
I’m going to laugh at anyone that supports BPL. Mainly because it pretty much kills any other band, including police and military bands and also Ham.
Until they shield those lines, which I doubt will ever happen, BPL isn’t safe. Causes tremendous interference. Internet isn’t worth that interference or health risk.
One other thing. Of course FCC is campaigning for BPL. Have you ever looked at which of those commissioners are tied to power companies? If energy companies were going to support BPL with a changeout in lines, I’d be fully supportive for this. But they’re using existing lines.
Next time, try driving under a powerline with your RF short range transmitter for a personal audio device (like Griffin’s iTrip for iPods). Static blows out the signal even on smaller powerlines. Now imagine that at 100 fold.
Interesting. I wondered about this… it sounded like the TV signals through your house on the power lines (that plug-in doohicky) which is also lame and noisy. Sigh. Would be nice to get my peeps on real Internet… believe me, they are WAY out in the boonies… and they NEED a real Internet!
But, we shall see, I suppose. I will stick with my current broadband connection!