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Many articles have appeared in the press about BPL. These articles represent the ones that ARRL believes address the technical aspects of BPL's operation and its impact on radio operators. ARRL also has a related page that explains how to best communicate information about BPL to local newspapers and TV or radio stations.
Broadband Over Powerline Future Fading Away
5/8/2008, Information Week -- "Dying slowly over the past few months, the hope of using utility powerlines for broadband transmission is receiving what appears to be a conclusive nail in its coffin as a Texas utility company this month said it will buy the broadband-over-powerline (BPL) business owned by Current Group. . . Pioneering BPL deployments in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and in Manassas, Va., have also faded. In Manassas -- once the pioneering test bed for the technology -- the city's supplier, ComTek, has been sold. Ham radio operators had waged a long and contentious battle, charging that BPL interfered with their signals. The Sault Ste. Marie provider, Amperion, has left the BPL business and reinvented itself as a provider of hybrid networks. In Australia, different utilities have either dropped BPL deployments altogether or are downsizing them to a point approaching demise, according to recent media reports."
Is it Lights Out for Broadband Over Powerline?
5/8/2008, IT Business Edge -- "Broadband over powerline (BPL) always has been intriguing, despite the fact that even its staunchest proponents understand that the data rates it provides don’t hold a candle to other broadband conduits. . . For the most part, however, BPL has been a disappointment. The lowered cost of broadband and the ability of dial-up to satisfy very basic users is squeezing BPL from both directions. From the technical standpoint, sending sensitive signals along with all that electricity is the equivalent of debutantes carpooling with professional wrestlers. Ham radio operators have consistently opposed projects because of interference issues."
Broadband service over power lines in Texas to shut down
5/8/2008, Washington Post (via AP)-- "Goodbye, broadband over power lines. We hardly knew you. Once touted as a possible third option for home broadband that could compete with phone and cable companies, the idea of providing Internet service over power lines now looks like it has died in infancy. A Texas utility company said last week that it is taking control of the equipment that was to be used in the largest planned U.S. deployment of broadband over power lines, or BPL -- and won't be using it to provide Internet service. . . The network was to offer Internet service to 2 million electricity customers through their wall outlets. Instead, Oncor will use the data capabilities of the network to monitor the electric grid. 'Our business is delivering electricity, not being an Internet provider or a television provider,' said Oncor spokesman Chris Schein. Other BPL trials have met with similar fates, though a few are still in operation. Compared to coaxial cables and copper phone lines, power lines are poor conduits for data. Some deployments also met fierce legal resistance from ham radio operators, who found that BPL created radio interference."
The Feds as Cheerleaders
5/6/2008, Andrew Seybold -- "The government's job is not to act as a cheerleader for a technology it thinks is "interesting" such as BPL or unlicensed white noise. Rather, it is to have its engineering staff review and test the technologies, weigh the pluses and minuses of each and then make recommendations that are followed by the Commission. Unfortunately, it appears those days are over and what we are left with is a politics and damn the consequences attitude!"
BPL Powers Down
5/5/2008, WiFi Net News -- "Part of the “BPL is dead” argument I make today stems from an appeals court decision in late April which affirms the FCC licensed/unlicensed approach, but which requires the agency to re-evaluate its information about interference. The FCC failed to disclose fully information from studies it relied on in setting rules, which violated public process. The ARRL wrote up the appeals decision on their site, and notes that a study in the UK that was fully released showed a much lower threshold would be needed. The agency’s need to redo some of its work, a potential shift of power to Democrats on the commission starting 20-Jan-2009, and the fact that other work shows the rules were established incorrectly could result in restrictions on BPL that make it even less likely to be rolled out."
Should the Texas PUC let Oncor stop BPL Internet?
5/5/2008, Dallas Morning News -- "Brief synopsis: Current had planned to rent some of the space on its network to Oncor -- which would use it to save power and improve maintenance. The rest of the network, which will eventually cover 2 million area homes, was to be rented to consumers who wanted fast Internet. All that changed when Oncor agreed to buy out Current for $90 million and complete network construction on its own. Oncor will still use the network to improve its operations, but the company has no plans, at present, to sell extra space for consumer Internet. The news lead several of my friends to argue that the Texas Public Utilities Commission should step in to stop the sale."
Broadband over power lines plan is dead in Dallas
5/2/2008, Dallas Morning News -- The Dallas Morning News reported that the ambitious plan to deliver broadband over power lines to 2 million of their customers has been scrapped by a decision to use the BPL system only for utility applications. This also derailed arrangements for DirecTV to provide BPL services to their customers. The equipment that presently passes 64000 homes in Dallas was purchased by Oncor, the involved utility for a reported $90 million.
Dallas BPL already dead?
5/2/2008, Parks Associates -- "Although we were encouraged by the DirecTV/Current/Oncor experiment, we always believed that BPL is a niche technology and it won't be a significant competitor to cable, DSL, and fiber broadband. In the post, we mentioned that we forecasted 0.5% of U.S. broadband households will be using BPL technology by 2012 (and this forecast included the potential subscribers DirecTV might have signed up if the deal had gone through). The current count is only about 10,000 U.S. households. BPL will continue to face challenges and Oncor abandoning their original plan will definitely add salt to injury."
Court tells FCC to revisit BPL rules
5/2/2008, Mobile Radio Technology -- "In a ruling last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled in favor of the amateur-radio organization ARRL on two items regarding the FCC’s BPL rules, requiring the agency to disclose the entirety of its BPL field tests cited in the rules and to explain its reasoning for emission-level limits. . . Although the ARRL noted that Ofcom—the United Kingdom’s regulatory agency—had conducted three studies indicating that 20 dB per decade would be an accurate measure, the FCC dismissed the studies, stating that it was not a “convincing argument” but offered no explanation for its position. . . The FCC can appeal the ruling to the full circuit court or to the Supreme Court. If it declines to appeal, the agency must revisit emission-level extrapolation issue, either providing reasoned justification for the 40 dB-per-decade factor or establish a new extrapolation factor. . . . If the FCC were to use the 20 dB extrapolation factor advocated by ARRL, it likely would impact the economics to deploy the technology, <Dave> Sumner <ARRL> said. 'Presumably, the power would have to be turned down in these systems, and that might result in reduced reliability, reduced throughput and the need for more hardware to be installed—repeaters at closer intervals along the line,' Sumner said. 'So we anticipate that the industry is going to strongly resist a revised extrapolation factor.' Thus far, BPL deployments have not been a significant problem to ARRL, Sumner said. First, with less than 5000 commercial customers nationwide as of the middle of 2007, BPL is not available in many areas. In addition, the most successful BPL technology provider—Current Communications, which has a large deployment in Texas—has worked with ARRL in an effort to ensure that its broadband rollouts do not interfere with amateur-radio operations, he said. 'We’ve had essentially no problems with Current’s deployments,' Sumner said."
Broadband Over Power Line Gets a KO Punch
5/2/2008, Gigacom -- "The great broadband hope, “Broadband over Power Line,” has turned out to be a big broadband nope. Not that I am surprised. I never believed its promise, even despite the incessant hype by none other than the FCC. A court’s decision has proven me right: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit pretty much concludes that the FCC was misguided and overenthusiastic about BPL, and that it ignored the interference data."
Is BPL Down for the Count? Yup, Probably.
5/2/2008, IP Democracy -- "When it comes to communications policy in the U.S., there are two major goals -- either regulate in the absence of competition or spur more competition in order to obviate the need for regulation. That's the main reason why the FCC, led down the primrose path by proponents, glommed onto broadband-over-powerline (BPL) several years back. But BPL, a kludgy technology aimed at squeezing communications-strength capacity out of power lines, is almost DOA in the USA. First, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia last week rapped the FCC on the knuckles for failing to take a look at studies that deal with BPL's propensity for interference as it rushed to adopt new rules promoting the competitive alternative. Now, as Karl Bode points out, the biggest BPL advocate, Current Communications (one of the chief primrose path guides) is selling its high-profile Dallas BPL network to local utility Oncor for $90 million. Oncor is going to use the "smart grid" set-up for...electricity. Although cities and utilities are largely responsible for the hype and public policy push surrounding BPL, I say all the idealistic and uninformed research outfits that pumped out study after study saying BPL was the next big thing are equally responsible for the unrealisitic hopes surrounding BPL. Smart people have always know that BPL, although worth investigating, was never going to inject enough competition into the marketplace to give either cable or phone companies a run for their money."
Broadband Over Powerline (BPL) Stumbles
5/2/2008, DSL Reports -- "While the FCC once called broadband over power lines (BPL) the "great broadband hope," the technology has been stuck in neutral, thanks largely to its tendency to interfere with local wireless transmissions, and the fact that many utilities don't want to get into the broadband business. Things have only gotten worse for the struggling sector the last two weeks. . . This week finds the industry's flagship BPL deployment in Dallas, supported by DirecTV and frequently cited as an example of the technology's successes, being sold to the local utility. The network, through which DirecTV and Current Communications hoped to offer BPL service to 2 million residents, will now simply be used for smart-electrical grid monitoring. From the Dallas Morning News: DirecTV has used Current's network to sell broadband over power lines to customers in the first 64,000 homes to be wired for the service. The plan had been to expand the DirecTV service area – and increase the number of BPL retailers – as Current attached networking equipment to more power transformers and expanded the smart grid across the region.
You can't say we didn't warn you. BPL is a niche solution with problems, not a third major competitive pipe."
Appeals Court Wants Better Reasoning on BPL
5/2/2008, Radio World -- "A federal appeals court has sided in part with ham radio operators who challenged FCC rules establishing the broadband over power lines (BPL) service, according to the American Radio Relay League. The decision sends the rules back to the commission to defend how it arrived at some of its conclusions and publicize its related studies. But the court didn’t overturn the BPL service rules, which remain in effect. The ARRL said the ruling is significant in that it could lead to changes in the rules and in the way some BPL companies operate. The FCC had no comment on the decision. At issue when the FCC instituted BPL service rules nearly two years ago was the question of whether BPL operation could interfere with amateur radio frequencies. The commission wanted to create BPL as a “third” broadband pipe into homes. We reported at the time the ARRL opposed the BPL service rules as created, citing interference concerns. The AARL <sic> later sued the agency, saying the rules were not enough to prevent harmful interference to ham frequencies."
Shocking times for Aussie broadband over powerline
3/5/2008, ZDNet.com.au -- It seemed like a good idea at the time, but Australian utilities' recent abandonment of broadband over powerline (BPL) technology has all but sealed the fate of a technology that was once hoped to bring high-speed data to every corner of Australia.
Recent NTIA Data on Broadband Penetration May Be Flawed
2/7/2008, WiMax.com -- The National Telecommunications and Information Administration recently released a report on Broadband in America in which it cites that 99 percent of the nation's zip codes have broadband available. ---the problem is this conclusion may be very flawed.
CIA says hackers pulled plug on power grid
1/23/2008, Network World -- "Criminals have been able to hack into computer systems via the Internet and cut power to several cities, a U.S. Central Intelligence Agency analyst said this week. Speaking at a conference of security professionals on Wednesday, CIA analyst Tom Donahue disclosed the recently declassified attacks while offering few specifics on what actually went wrong. "
Broadband over Power Lines - Alternative or Trouble?
12/2007, Conformity Magazine -- Many home offices are setting up local networks using either wireless or wired technology. However, depending on where you live, there may be a third alternative: AC wires, the electrical wires that are already inside the home and office walls.
Designing the Utility of the Future: Duke Energy Takes a Holistic View of Distribution
12/1/2007, Utility Automation & Engineering T&D -- "Matt Smith, Duke Energy’s director of technology development and director of the company’s Utility of the Future initiative, says a recent media report that the utility is abandoning efforts in broadband over powerline (BPL) communications technology isn’t entirely accurate. He said BPL as a communications medium, though not without its shortcomings, is still in the mix as the company looks to build a broad network of intelligent devices throughout its distribution system. . . 'We’re finding that the technology (BPL) is efficient in delivering information (in the form of broadband Internet access) to the home. We’ve had positive response from customers,' Smith said. 'On the utility side of the meter, we’re finding that the equipment is fairly expensive at this point and that we need more of it than we anticipated.' Smith said that in the early stages of Duke’s evaluation of BPL, there was an assumption that BPL couplers could be placed at every other transformer or every other customer drop. (A coupler is a device that allows data on power lines to bypasses the transformer to ensure optimal strength of the BPL signal.) 'We’re finding we need more BPL equipment than we had anticipated, and so the cost-benefit has been challenging,' he said. Smith said that rather than abandoning BPL, Duke will look to leverage existing BPL assets to interface with the intelligent devices the company is installing as part of its Utility of the Future effort. While he said Duke is not currently installing new BPL equipment to further the Utility of the Future project, the company is trying to determine whether there is a cost-effective way to use the BPL assets already in place to form at least part of the communications network that will interface with intelligent devices such as meters, transformers, line sensors and equipment within substations."
Tasmanian BPL Trial Scrapped
12/9/2007, DSL Reports -- "Tasmanian energy supplier Aurora Energy was boasting about the amazing powers of BPL back in March but rather quietly scrapped the $2 million trial at the end of last month. Much of the opposition to the trial came from the Radio and Electronics Association of Southern Tasmania which details that opposition here. However, Aurora claims that their opposition was irrelevant in the decision to scrap the project. CEO Peter Davis says that he stands by his original support of the trial but that changes in both the market and technology have changed since the project began, making it a less than viable system."
Aurora defends dumping BPL trial
12/6/2007, ABC News -- After having dropped it plans to deploy BPL in Tasmania, Aurora Energy is put on the defensive about the timing of its news release. The company's chairman John Hasker says they announced the decision to end the trial as soon as they became aware it was no longer viable.
Aussie telcos 'looking into powerline broadband'
10/31/2007, ZDNet Australia -- "Australian telcos are seriously looking at broadband over powerline (BPL), according to vendor NEC -- but interference and regulatory issues are still haunting the technology. . . Despite a number of BPL trials undertaken by Australian energy companies Norton added that those showing an interest in broadband over powerline are telcos rather than utilities. 'The utility types are still struggling with the business model and with government policy,' he said. As well as regulatory concerns, questions remain on interference. "The interference issue still needs to be sorted. We're dealing quite closely with ACMA (the Australian Communications and Media Authority) on that," Norton noted.
HomePlug claims victory in standards fray
10/25/2006, EEtimes -- "The HomePlug Alliance is claiming victory in a decision that could force all sides to respin powerline networking chips for a standard that could be set as early as March. But rival Design of Systems on Silicon, S.A. (DS2) whose technology was not chosen said it will demonstrate in November chips that double today's throughout and claims warring parties are still holding private discussions on a compromise."
Broadband-over-power-lines battle goes to court
10/23/2007 12:32 PM PDT, C/Net NewsBlog posted by Anne Broache -- A dispute that could affect the roll-out of broadband over power lines, which some hope will one day compete with cable and DSL services, went before a federal appeals court on Tuesday. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia heard arguments from attorneys for the FCC and the ARRL, about FCC rules aimed at allowing BPL services to flourish.
Austin Energy Completes Year-Long BPL Trial
10/18/2007, Austin Startup -- "Austin Energy recently completed a year-long trial of broadband-over-power-lines (or BPL), to evaluate the performance and cost of this still nascent technology. If you had driven anywhere around the area of 6th street and Comal, you would have seen some interesting boxes hanging off the power poles/lines that were part of the broadband equipment. The preliminary conclusion? Too expensive. 'Guesstimates' are that the cost to serve a 200-block square area would be approx $300,000. Compared to a roughly comparable cost to throw up a microwave tower and service a 5-mile radius area, and the economics of BPL are just not there yet: at least for Austin."
What does Duke Energy "moving away' from BPL mean?
10/9/2007, BPL Today -- In follow to an articel in Electric Utility Week (not available on line), Duke Power and Ambient both clarified their positions with respect to the Ambient BPL Deployment in Charlotte, NC.
The Great Home BPL Test – What Worked And What Didn't
Broadband Business Forecast, August 21, 2007. Broadband Business Forecast Editor Stuart Zipper, after writing about broadband over powerline (BPL) technology for years, decided to risk life, limb and every PC in his house to test the technology.
What Is BPL Internet Access (Broadband Over Power Lines)
August 15, 2007, ProCOM -- BPL seems, at first glance, to offer benefits relative to regular cable or DSL connections: the extensive infrastructure already available would appear to allow people in remote locations to have access to the Internet with relatively little equipment investment by the utility. However, variations in the physical characteristics of the electricity network and the current lack of IEEE standards mean that provisioning of the service is far from being a standardized, repeatable process.
Life's Hard In The BPL Industry
July 10, 2007, Broadband Reports - Broadband over powerline (BPL) company Ambient Communications has been struggling for several years and has yet to see a penny of net profit in a sector that seems eternally stuck in neutral.
Ambient Hopes for Revenue Lightning
July 8, 2007, New York Post. --"BPL comes in handy in rural areas and in apartment buildings, where drilling through concrete can be a headache. But the speed of BPL is slower than by other means and utilities don't see the financial reward of investing in smart systems - there are other priorities."
Egypt Taps Twosome To Build BPL Smart Village
6/25/2007, TelecomWeb -- The partnership of PLC International and Corinex Communications won the bid for a broadband over powerline (BPL)-based "smart village" in Cairo, Egypt.
Broadband over power lines revenue will skyrocket over next six years
6/24/2007, The Frederick News-Post -- Global revenue from broadband over power lines will climb from $57.1 million last year to $4.95 billion in revenue in 2013, according to a study released by market research company, Telecom Trends International Inc.
Power lines to channel broadband internet
6/20/2007, Business Daily Africa -- Office and home power-lines could soon be channelling broadband Internet as well as electricity with a new technology aimed at connecting more Kenyans to high tech communications.
Government looks at BPL possibilities
6/15/2007, Wireless Federation -- Ecuador’s government has signed agreements with two electricity utilities, Centrosur and Empresa Eléctrica Quito, to study the feasibility of offering broadband over power lines (BPL) services, reports BNamericas, quoting an official statement.
GTS starting to roll out Broadband services
6/11/2007, MyBroadband -- Goal Technology Solutions (GTS) has started to roll out its broadband over power lines (BPL) services in various locations around the country, but is struggling with municipalities dragging their feet.
Ham radio group says FCC turns deaf ear to BPL interference complaints
6/7/2007, Eric Bangeman -- ARRL, the national association for amateur radio, has demanded that a New York broadband over powerline (BPL) pilot be shut down. Citing repeated interference with ham radio transmissions, ARRL general counsel Chris Imlay has requested that Ambient Corporation's Briarcliff Manor, NY, BPL testing be halted in a letter sent to the FCC's Spectrum Enforcement Division.
FCC Ignoring BPL Interference? - The ARRL seems to think so…
6/7/2007, Remove The Labels -- The ARRL continues to press the FCC to shut down Ambient Corporation’s broadband over power line (BPL) pilot project in Briarcliff Manor, New York. The amateur radio group says that for years, the FCC has been ignoring their own guidelines concerning interference and that the project consistently operates outside acceptable interference parameters.
DirecTV To Test Powerline Broadband
5/14/2007, Broadband Reports -- New DirecTV owner Liberty Media has stated they'd like to get DirecTV back into the broadband business -- but there isn't a lot the company hasn't tried. One thing the company hasn't tried is broadband over powerlines (BPL), which DirecTV's CEO says they may begin testing soon.
PPL Gets out of Broadband Business
5/2/2007, The Morning Call -- PPL announced that is was divesting itself of its broadband business. Its foray into broadband cost PPL $16M.
Broadband Over Power Lines - Is It for Real?
05/01/07 Tech News World - While broadband services have penetrated a large portion of the United States, many rural communities still have few options beyond dial-up. Forty-four percent of dial-up subscribers live in rural areas. Only 23 percent of rural residents subscribe to broadband services. This low broadband penetration is not due to lack of demand.
BPL: Deployment Challenges on Overhead MV Distribution Networks
4/1/2007, Utility Automation -- (Pg. 38) This article by IBM staff discusses the unique challanges of placing broadband HF currents onto noisy MV power lines. Realistic data rates are presented along with a good discussion of attenuation and "noise" sources like other RF equipment and arcing. Line maintenance, device spacing and differential coupling are all mentioned as techniques for mitigation of these effects.
Sweden: Power line communications lacked stability
3/23/2007, Computer Sweden -- The original article is written in Swedish, but this is a synopsis in English as posted on the BPLand HamRadio list at Yahoogroups.com: "Swedish electricity R&D company Elforsk has presented a report on broadband power line communications (PLC) trials in Sweden. Extensive testing found that while the technology worked and customers were satisfied, it was insufficiently stable. The technology was also more expensive to install than ADSL. Elforsk is owned jointly by Swedenergy (Svensk Energi) and the Swedish National Grid ( Svenska Kraftnät)."
BPL standard taking shape as doubts cloud its future
3/15/2007, ARSTechnica.com -- "One of the biggest problems faced by BPL is skepticism on the part of power companies that investment in the technology will pay off. Do utilities want to become ISPs, forcing them to add staff and technical expertise that they currently lack? Another issue is interference in the radio spectrum. BPL's backers say that they've all but solved that problem, but many ham radio operators would disagree with that assessment."
Broadband over powerline is ready to explode
3/1/2007, Computer World -- This article is mainly focused on utility applications for BPL. ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, offers comments in the discussion forum associated with the article. So far, the BPL "explosion" has resulted in BPL enjoying 0.008% of the broadband lines in the US, according to the last FCC broadband report.
FCC: FCC: Chairman Martin Highlights BPL During Senate Testimony; FCC Statistics Show BPL Growth
2/20/2007, UPLC PowerLine -- "FCC Chairman Martin recognized BPL during his testimony before the Senate Energy and Commerce Committee early this month. Chairman Martin said that "BPL is a potentially significant player in the developing broadband world". Martin's testimony drew the ire of the ARRL, which previously had criticized the Chairman for making similar public statements supporting BPL during a speech at Georgetown University. Clearly, Chairman Martin is not backing down. In his Senate testimony, Martin explained that BPL can "more easily provide broadband to rural areas," due to power lines' ubiquitous reach; and he cited to the United Power Line Council for information on the number of deployments nationwide. (To see the updated UPLC deployment map, click here.) In a related story, the latest statistics from the FCC indicate that the number of BPL subscribers increased to 5,208 as of June 30, 2006; up from 4,571 reported for the end of 2005. Although the number of subscribers increased, BPL still is last on the list of broadband technologies in the FCC's report, far behind fixed and mobile wireless, as well as satellite and fiber."
Note: ARRL's "ire" was over Chairman Martin using an outdated BPL deployment map provided to him by UPLC. To see the inaccurate BPL deployment map, see League Faults FCC Chairman Re Biased, Inaccurate BPL Presentation Information.
Bill Puts BPL in Ham’s Way
1/19/2007, Red Herring -- A bill wending its way through the United States Congress would force the FCC to determine whether ham radio operators are on the right frequency or just full of static. Amateur radio operators claim that broadband over power line (BPL) technology is polluting the airwaves used by ham radio fans as well as emergency services. U.S. Representative Mike Ross (D-Arkansas), a ham radio enthusiast, reintroduced the Emergency Amateur Radio Interference Protection Act, the 2007 version of a bill that was included in the ill-fated Telecommunications Act, which died in the U.S. Senate last year.
Concord Considers BPL
1/12/2007, Broadband Reports -- The electric utility in Concord, Massachusetts, is considering deployment of broadband over powerline (BPL) technology. The system is being provided by PowerGrid Communications of Meridian, Idaho, who have met with local amateur radio operators about the technology's interference potential. Area hams call the company "cordial and very cooperative."
Lack of Interoperability Stunts Powerline Networking
1/11/2007, IDG News Service - The lack of interoperability in powerline networking products used in homes is dramatically slowing down potential growth, industry leaders said during a panel discussion at the International Consumer Electronics Show on Wednesday.
Will The Real Rural Broadband Solution please stand up!
12/14/2006, VSatus Satellite Internet News -- "3. Broadband over Powerlines (BPL): Another one of the 'ultimate' answers for Rural America, BPL has encountered many of the same cost issues that plague widespread WiMax deployment. To keep the speed up to broadband levels, this technology requires LOTS of equipment on the powerlines they carry the broadband over. Even with the recent ruling by the FCC to make BPL more competitive with other types of broadband by changing it's designation to 'Information Service', FCC Commissioner, Michael Copps, suggested that even with a level playing field there hasn't been much effort to build infrastructure by the Utilities. That doesn't even include the pressure that the Ham Radio operators have and will bring to try to stop this technology dead in it's tracks."
Metro Fiber Optic Leader Predicts Minimum 200 Megabits Online Speeds Following Korea and Japan Models
12/13/2006, Government Technology -- "Rusin also discounts claims leading to Broadband over Power Lines as a mass market IP medium as having guaranteed limitations. Though power lines are ubiquitous, they are also made of copper. BPL trials conducted so far have been inconclusive. A byproduct of these early trials has seen several early adopters exiting the technology. Anecdotally, the limited BPL results have a few BPL providers now over-building the power grid with fiber. If BPL was viable -- why would you fiber the power grid? In addition, if you are going to fiber the power grid, it would make more sense to offer wi-fi or WiMAX and wireless backhaul which has a greater bandwidth capacity, albeit not close to fiber, but greater than power distribution copper. BPL is the ISDN of the new millennium -- lots of promise theoretically -- a niche market at best."
Hams Say Martin Misrepresenting BPL -- And using inaccurate BPL industry data to do so...
12/8/2006, Broadband Reports -- The American Radio Relay League isn't particularly impressed with FCC Chief Kevin Martin's portrayal of BPL (broadband over powerline) technology of late. Martin has been praising the technology as a viable competitor to DSL and cable despite the fact it's pretty clear by now it's a troubled niche solution at best. The ARRL says that during a recent BPL praising presentation by Martin, he presented deployment slides provided by a pro-BPL group (UPLC) that listed BPL projects that had already been shut down due to problems. The group also laments that Martin likes to downplay the technology's well discussed tendency to cause radio spectrum pollution."
See also: League Faults FCC Chairman Re Biased, Inaccurate BPL Presentation Information
Group Says BPL Pollutes Spectrum
12/7/2006, Red Herring -- This article outlines the scope of a letter that ARRL wrote to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, taking him to task for repeating inaccurate information provided to the FCC by the United PowerLine Council (UPLC). Included in the alleged inaccuracies is a map purported to be of BPL deployments in the US that shows BPL deployments that were shut down as much as a couple of years ago.
Oni descontinua serviço de Powerline a partir de 31 de Outubro
11/1/2006, TEK -- English translation: Before the end of October 2006, investment in Power line Internet access technology, by the Portuguese corporation " Oni ", will terminate, offering as an alternative to current costumers an ADSL more advantageous option. Internal sources from this company guarantee to the press, that this deliberate budge must only be regarded as a mere business contingency and it is not at all a technological matter. Internet access using power line domestic supply had attested to be an effective alternative, but the market sadly didn't hold up this choice, according to the same statement. " This decision is definitely a business management evaluation. Although industrial results had proved to overall our best expectations, other broadband competitors, like ADSL, had prevailed over the PLC option ".
HECO does not plan to provide Internet access
12/4/2006, Honolulu Star Bulletin -- "'HECO isn't planning to get into the Internet provider business,' although its pilot project is continuing, said spokesman Jose Dizon. HECO initially announced plans to wire about 100 homes in Pearl City to test the 'Broadband Over Powerlines,' or BPL, technology, but decided last year to scale back the project. 'A few' customers in the McCully area are currently participating in the pilot project, Dizon said. ... HECO is interested in using BPL for various utility applications, to see if it can improve service to customers through advanced metering, outage detection, substation monitoring, etc., Dizon said. He said an inherent challenge with BPL is the cost to purchase and install equipment to bypass transformers and to amplify the broadband signal. HECO hasn't yet ruled out BPL, he said, but it is also looking at other technologies, such as 'wi-fi' and wireless, as the communications media for utility applications, such as reading customer's meters. For these two other technologies, 'HECO is not providing its own Internet service,' Dizon said. Instead, it is using other Internet providers as the communications medium. 'Again, our focus is on utility applications that benefit customers by improving reliability and productivity of our operations,' Dizon said. 'Providing Internet service is not our focus and we do not plan on entering that business.'"
Will the "REAL" Rural Broadband Solution please stand up!
11/24/2006, Blogger -- "Another one of the "ultimate" answers for Rural America, BPL has encountered many of the same cost issues that plague widespread WiMax deployment. To keep the speed up to broadband levels, this technology requires LOTS of equipment on the powerlines they carry the broadband over."
Why BPL isn't coming soon
11/27/2006, Telecom Trends -- "In Canada, the vast majority of electric utilities are owned by municipalities with very different business drivers."
The Great Divide: Rural Areas Continue To Face Limited Access To Broadband Services
11/20/2006, Information Week -- "Longer term, broadband over power lines offers the ability to piggyback digital data signals over existing power distribution networks to send high-speed data. While an intriguing concept, technical and regulatory issues make this an option that won't be available widely for at least several years, if ever. Numerous BPL pilots were shut down over the past two years because of radio interference issues and other concerns about technical feasibility and cost-effectiveness. Increasingly, it looks like BPL offers no simple answer for rural broadband access."
2004 2005 2006 the Year of BPL
11/20/2006, Broadband Reports -- "Each year we watch the broadband over powerline (BPL) industry proclaim that this year is 'the year' BPL will shine, and each year we see limited trials and hesitant utilities, yet no absence of optimistic chatter from the FCC and BPL hardware vendors. . . Some thought broadband would soon be pouring from every electrical outlet, offering a viable third player in a market many think is little more than a stagnant coordinated duopoly. Kevin Martin declared BPL held 'great promise' as a 'ubiquitous broadband solution' that could help the country achieve President Bush's declaration of universal broadband by 2007. Meanwhile, back in reality, a flood of radio engineers pointed out that powerlines really weren't suitable for bandwidth transmission. Interference issues were documented, trials in a number of foreign countries were shut down and even the NTIA began to worry that the technology wasn't fully cooked. BPL skepticism began to set in...unless you worked at the FCC or for a BPL hardware vendor. . . Fast forward nearly three years: The FCC's last broadband report (pdf) listed 5,859 BPL customers in the United States as of December, 2005. The majority of those customers are still participating in utility trials that may or may not continue. Many utilities are interested in BPL solely as a smart-network monitoring solution and aren't sold on becoming broadband providers. Perhaps 2007 will be the BPL industry's lucky year?"
Broadband Over Powerlines: The Technology Of The Perpetual Future...
11/30/2006, TechDirt.com -- "We've been hearing about the supposed wonders of "broadband over powerlines" (BPL) for many, many years. There were some reports in the mid-nineties about the technology, where it was made pretty clear that powerlines really couldn't handle BPL at any serious scale, but that hasn't stopped plenty of companies from trying over the years -- nearly all of which have received tons of hype from the press and the FCC (who desperately wants another offering to hit the market, so they can claim that there's real competition in broadband)."
The Great Divide: Rural Areas Continue To Face Limited Access To Broadband Services
11/20/2006, Information Week -- "Longer term, broadband over power lines offers the ability to piggyback digital data signals over existing power distribution networks to send high-speed data. While an intriguing concept, technical and regulatory issues make this an option that won't be available widely for at least several years, if ever. Numerous BPL pilots were shut down over the past two years because of radio interference issues and other concerns about technical feasibility and cost-effectiveness. Increasingly, it looks like BPL offers no simple answer for rural broadband access. "
BPL Hotel Trial in Canada Discontinued
11/18/2006, DyorkLiveJournal.com -- This article outlines the reasons that a test of BPL in a hotel in Ontario was discontinued.
Broadband over Power Line heralds spam-to-stove solution
11/6/2006, Silicon Valley -- "Apparently FCC Chairman Kevin Martin doesn't listen to much ham radio, because last week the FCC classified Broadband over Power Line (BPL) as an information service, ignoring the complaints of amateur radio enthusiasts who say it interferes with ham radio spectrum. The decision puts BPL on equal footing with DSL and cable broadband -- a status that the FCC hopes will speed its adoption to a crawl from its current creep."
The FCC Gives Love to Powerline Broadband
11/3/2006, Broadband Reports -- "The FCC's last broadband report (pdf) listed 5,859 BPL customers in the United States as of December, 2005. The majority of those customers are participating in utility trials that may, or may not, expand. Many utilities are interested in BPL solely as a smart-network monitoring solution, and are not yet sold on the ROI of getting into the residential broadband business."
Oni descontinua serviço de Powerline a partir de 31 de Outubro
11/1/2006, TEK -- English translation: Before the end of October 2006, investment in Power line Internet access technology, by the Portuguese corporation " Oni ", will terminate, offering as an alternative to current costumers an ADSL more advantageous option. Internal sources from this company guarantee to the press, that this deliberate budge must only be regarded as a mere business contingency and it is not at all a technological matter. Internet access using power line domestic supply had attested to be an effective alternative, but the market sadly didn't hold up this choice, according to the same statement. " This decision is definitely a business management evaluation. Although industrial results had proved to overall our best expectations, other broadband competitors, like ADSL, had prevailed over the PLC option ".
AT&T Battles TXU Partner
This article outlines the lawsuit and temporary court order relating to the Current Technologies BPL installation in the Dallas, TX area. Note: The lawsuit was subsequently settled.
Broadband Power
10/20/2006, PC World -- "For example, in August, Tasmanian radio groups conducted noise tests of the Aurora trial in Hobart. They claimed the BPL signal in the un-notched area (the location where there is no attenuation of the BPL signal) was between 3 times (5dB) and 5000 times (37dB) stronger than what would be heard there if the BPL system didn't exist. In the area where they use notching to lower the interference levels, the signals are between 8 times (9dB) and 25 times (14dB) higher than what would be heard there if the BPL system didn't exist, says Martin Howells, national director of the Australian Citizens Radio Emergency Monitors group. This significant increase in the background noise would mean that nothing but the very strongest radio signals would be heard by a HF radio user within the BPL area."
Broadband by Power Lines Moves Forward
10/15/2006, PC World -- "'"I take the concerns of [the amateur radio] community very seriously, and believe that the FCC has an obligation to work hard to monitor, investigate, and take quick action where appropriate to resolve harmful interference,' <FCC Commissioner> Copps says. 'If an amateur radio user makes a complaint and an agreement between the BPL provider and the amateur radio user cannot be reached, the FCC should step in and resolve the matter.'"
San Diego Smart Grid Study Final Report
10/1/2006, ASIC Smart Grid Team -- San Diego Gas and Electric is unique in that it has been studying and testing BPL from muliple vendors, including Ambient, Current Technologies, Motorola and Mitsubishi, among others. This independent report outlines the practicalities of BPL for grid control, leaning strongly toward HomePlug technology as a viable solution.
HomePlug Powerline Alliance selects Yitran modem technology
9/28/2006, ferret.com/au -- The HomePlug Powerline Alliance announced the selection of Yitran Communications’ IT800 powerline modem technology (available through Glyn High-Tech Distribution ) as the baseline technology for its HomePlug Command and Control specification.
Broadband's Evolution
9/14/2006, Electronic Design -- "As for broadband over powerline (BPL), some testing and limited early adoption continues. However, this controversial service causes major RF interference for ham radio and other wireless services in some areas. Additionally, the Federal Communications Commission seems to refuse to enforce its rather tough interference rules against the utilities offering BPL. BPL isn't really fast enough to compete with cable, DSL, fiber, or even wireless broadband. Its main application may end up being a way to remotely read electric, gas, or water meters. Better still, let's hope this hapless technology dies a quiet early death. It's a perfect example illustrating that just because you can do something with technology doesn't necessarily mean that you should."
BPL Doubts Remain
9/6/2006, TVTechnology.com -- "Despite the FCC's latest endorsement of broadband-over-power-lines industry watchdogs continue to express doubts over whether the wireless technology-targeted to rural broadband deployments-can steer clear of interfering with broadcast signals."
Measurements and Calculations of BPL Emissions
9/1/2006, Conformity -- See page 12 ff. This article is a reprint from a peer-reviewed paper that ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, presented at the 2005 IEEE EMC Society Symposium in Chicago, IL. It discusses ARRL's findings with BPL, its radiated emissions and interference. The paper also candidly discusses some of ARRL's analyses of BPL-measurement test results made by the BPL industry. The information was current as of the date of publication in 2005.
Net Over Power Lines Gets FCC Nod
8/3/2006, Wired News -- The FCC agrees that BPL can cause interference, but not enough to warrant its censure. Industry analyst Frank Dzubeck, president of Communication Network Architects, said the next option for opposition groups is the courts. "It's now up to the lobbying efforts and the legal beagles to take up the case," he said.
BPL Article series in Computing Unplugged
8/1/2006, Computing Unplugged -- This series of articles included interviews with representatives from BPL manufacturers and radiocommunications users. Although there was a bump or two along the way, overall, the series is a fair and balanced reporting of the status of BPL in late 2006.
Potential threats to radio services from PLT systems
7/1/2006, EBU Technical Review -- By Jonathan Stott, British Broadcasting Corporation. This article describes in detail the technical reasons why BPL/PLC as presently configured poses a serious risk of harmful interference to the reception of international shortwave broadcasts.
Earthlink comments on BPL and other technologies (MP3 file, 20 MB)
Other topics: Broadband over powerline (BPL) as a way to reach service to tall buildings (and EarthLink's investment in Current, a BPL tech/deployment firm); why EarthLink declined to bid on Wireless Silicon Valley; and why Berryman is so excited about the train-based Internet/operations network proposal for the Capitol Corridor rail line in California for which EarthLink is one of four firms building test networks. Whew. [42 min.]
Power companies in N.C. not eager to jump into the market for broadband Internet access
6/30/2006, Winston Salem Journal -- "Utility companies in North Carolina are in no rush to offer broadband Internet access over their power lines. . . One of the reasons for that is utilities have not been willing to take the risk and pour a lot of money into a service that would compete with cable and telephone companies that also offer high-speed Internet service. Utilities are generally conservative businesses." A related article, "Small Carolina Paper Revamps Its Web Presence, And Adds An Interesting Twist --Free Wireless Internet For The Entire County", outlines the promotion of wireless technology in Moore County, NC.
Powerline promises broken on broadband
5/22/2006, Telephony Online -- "'[BPL] is one of the only technologies that's been the same for the last four, five, six years,' said Nicole Klein, an analyst at Yankee Group. Even the introduction of new, speedier chipsets seems 'kind of like a shoulder shrug,' she said. . . . Just by staying alive, ComTek's and Current's deployments stand out as sterling successes in a sector littered with abandoned BPL trials, Klein said. Plenty of BPL projects have turned out like the one begun in Penn Yan, N.Y., in 2003, which was rejected in 2004 because of security and interference concerns and replaced with a trial of wireless mesh technology. . . . But BPL proponents seemed to have learned their lesson. No matter how optimistic they might be, no one is willing to call 2006 'the year of BPL.'"
Priority Interrupt (column): Without an Annoying Buzz
5/1/2006, Circuit Cellar magazine -- "Of course, like any new technology, there are two sides to the coin. Yes, you can piggyback the high-frequency Internet communication signals on the power line and turn every power company into an instant ISP. Unfortunately, the obvious consequence of putting high-frequency signals on top of an uninsulated and unshielded wire meant for 60-Hz power makes it radiate like a giant antenna. . . . EMI from the BPL-enabled medium voltage lines that link electric power substations is the major source of interference."
5.2 Economics of Deploying Municipal Networks
4/27/2006, infoDev -- The economics of deploying municipal networks depends on a number of factors including the technology to be used, the geography/topography of the location, the market to be addressed, the services to be offered and the level of competition. All of these factors are interrelated, in that the type of services to be offered will depend on market demand and this will to a great extent dictate the technology platform that has to be used. The provision of high-speed Internet services can be accomplished using a number of platforms, whereas, a “triple-play” service of broadband Internet, video and telephony currently requires a wire line network.
Official statement of the group cem radio hams and commission cem of the Ref.-Union France victim of the CPL
4/19/2006, CPL News -- This article outlines interference from a BPL system installed in France.
Broadband over Power Lines: Ready or Not?
4/6/2006, TMCnet - "A recent Pike & Fischer report titled 'Broadband over Power Lines: Is it Ready to Charge Up?' finds that, while electric utilities control an important wire into American homes, 'there are not a lot of options for new market entry that make good economic sense.'"
Utilities Speak Out
4/5/2006, Fortnightly.com -- "Initial rollouts of BPL have slowed, if not stalled, but utilities continue to explore the possibilities for providing new services to customers. Now NARUC, in its Report of the Broadband Over Power Lines Task Force, and an accompanying survey conducted by EPRI Solutions, explores several utilities' responses to BPL, as well as the attraction to, and hindrances toward, implementing the technology. . . The use of BPL for internal utility applications to bolster the grid has delivered mixed results, at best, in terms of cost and benefits. According to an EPRI report still being finalized, BPL's 'smart grid' applications rank near the bottom of the list of eight other competing technologies. Based on 11 separate criteria, 'BPL ranked eighth out of the nine [wide-area network] technologies considered,' pulling 'particularly low marks on standardization and use of object modeling.' . . . Fundamental questions about the technology itself linger for larger utilities. First Energy 'commented that it is still not clear that BPL technologies live up to their hype,' while Con Edison cited 'credibility issues' with BPL. Even Cinergy acknowledged a 'significant problem' in integrating BPL with electricity meters. Nevertheless, the company 'believes that by installing BPL for current utility applications (even if another technology could perform equally well) utilities gain the advantage of extra bandwidth that will be useful in the future for more advanced utility applications (such as Intelligrid or Smart Grid applications).'"
Powerline Telco Completes NRECA BPL Trial
4/4/2006, BPL Today -- Noting that the BPL trial done by Powerline Telco for the NRECA in Maryland showed that BPL worked well, the article then goes on to explain why unanticipated costs and other factors resulted in a decision not to deploy BPL.
Princeton will share broadband Internet
4/4/2006, Peoria Journal Star -- "The new service will allow <Princeton, IL> businesses to connect directly to the fiber-optic cable installed throughout the city, giving users a greater bandwidth than the broadband over power lines service. The cable can be split among about 20 businesses. IV Net is offering two packages for the shared fiber-optic hookup. Businesses can pay $109 per month for upload/download speeds of 768 Kbps/1.5 Mbps. They can also purchase a package offering upload/download speeds of 1 Mbps/3 Mbps for $219 a month. 'Those will be the same price as the BPL service for businesses,' said city electric utility manager Jason Bird. 'The shared fiber hookup will give them consistent speeds they need to have.'"
Broadband over power line’s ham radio problem- and vice versa
3/20/2006, ZDNet -- "We hear lots of praise of how Broadband over Power Line (BPL) technology holds promise as a route for signals into the home that can get around the cable-telecom duopoly. And how BPL can also be a conduit for broadband in rural areas that are too far from switching offices for DSL to work right, and haven’t been wired up for broadband cable. Like so many other magic bullets, though, this solution proves too good to be true much of the time."
Net over power lines irks amateur radio lovers
3/19/2006, USA Today (AP) -- "George Tarnovsky can hear the Internet as he drives down Main Street in Manassas, Va., a rapid rattle emanating from the ham radio in his Chevy Tahoe. 'Suddenly you hear this incredible signal,' Tarnovsky said. The radio interference, which can resemble rapid clicks or the whine of a phone-line modem, comes from a system that provides high-speed Internet access to about 1,000 Manassas customers through their power lines. 'The interference makes ham radio all but impossible in the Washington, D.C., suburb, Tarnovsky said."
Manassas Hams Continue BPL Fight Comtek continues to deny there's any problems
3/19/2006, DSL Reports -- "Comtek recently got tired of the debate and went on the offensive, claiming such interference complaints had been resolved, and that ham groups like the ARRL were engaged in a 'campaign to turn back the clock on broadband in the United States.' " ' It's unfortunate for ComTek that in their hurry they went with an early BPL design that causes problems.' retorted ARRL spokesman Alan Pitt at the time. 'As a matter of fact, ham radio people are often the first to adopt new technology and enjoy playing with it," says Pitts. "We just don't like interference. We have no problem with Current and Motorola.' Source: BROADDBAND Reports.com
Communications vehicle unveiled
3/8/2006, Newport News Times -- Amateur Radio is not the only radicommunications service that relies heavily on mobile and portable operation. This article describes a mobile communication facility in Oregon that integrates a number of radio technologies.
HomePlug Powerline Alliance ramps up certification, interoperability efforts
3/6/2006, TG Daily -- San Ramon (CA) - On Friday, the HomePlug Powerline Alliance announced a new compliance, interoperability and coexistence program aimed at improving consumers' experience with HomePlug powerline networking products.
Broadband over power lines gets boost
3/2/2006, America's Network Electronic Edition -- "The bad news, of course, is that the pilot effort hasn't proved that BPL is ready for broad commercial acceptance in the US market. In fact, both IBM and CenterPoint are taking a very guarded approach to BPL deployment in this situation."
High-speed Net use growing at faster rate in rural areas, but ...
2/27.2006, Arizona Daily Star – “Electric utilities have investigated "broadband over power line" service that would deliver the Internet through electrical outlets. But its use has been hampered by technological issues, particularly potential interference with radio signals by amateur radio operators and others. "
Europe approves powerline communications spec
02/22/06, NETWORKWORLD -- Efforts to use electricity cables to transmit data took a step forward in Europe with the publication of an open specification for power line communications. ... Whether PLC will ever take off remains to be seen, however. Ham radio operators, particularly in the U.S., contend that broadband over power lines interferes with their radio signals. OPERA claimed in a white paper that its technology is "Ham radio friendly."
RADIO SPECTRUM COMMITTEE Working Document, Subject: ETSI Report to RSC#13
2/21/2006 -- Meeting to set European BPL Interference Standard 10/7/2005 RSCOM RADIO SPECTRUM COMMITTEE excerpt: ":ETSI/CENELEC Joint Working Group on EMC of conducted telecommunications networks The Joint Working Group continues to work on mandate M/313 on EMC requirements for conducted transmission networks. Following the publication of Commission Recommendation 2005/292/EC on the introduction of power line telecommunication, the JWG have decided to concentrate on the development of the Harmonised Standard originally requested under mandate M/313. The draft Harmonised Standard EN 302 282 is due to complete Public Enquiry on 18 November 2005. A joint meeting with CENELEC to resolve Public Enquiry comments has been arranged on 21 and 22 February 2006. The standard is scheduled to be published in June 2006."
PLC interference; Report about measurements concerning power line communication systems (PLC), and harmful interference caused by PLC in the HF bands 2000 -- 30000 kHz. (In English) 2/16/2006, Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (Austria) -- In order to verify the complaints of these various users of HF systems, the Austrian elecommunication authority carried out relevant investigations in the region Linz (Upper Austria) in May 2004, April 2005 and November 2005, where a PLC system is operated on a commercial basis. It turned out that the measured emission of PLC installations in the region of Linz is much higher (approximately 42 dB) than the relevant limit according to CEPT ECC/REC(05)04 which reflects the state-of-the-art in Austria.
National Academy of Sciences Panel: Deregulate BPL, Spectrum
2/1/2006, From page 175, Rising Above The Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future (2006) National Acadamies Committee on Prospering in the Global Economy of the 21st Century "Recent examples of regulatory changes include Federal Communications Commission decisions to free newly deployed broadband infrastructure from legacy regulation and to develop a framework for deployment of Broadband over Power Lines (BPL). The report goes on to say "The future of spectrum management is another particualrly critical area. And, as is the case with regulatory policy, changes in spectrum management would not neccessarily entail costs to the federl goverment and might even result in additional revenue."
Power firms want to compete with cable, DSL
02/10/2006, Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- " 'This is not something we're going to jump into until we know exactly what to expect,' said Purcell, GreyStone's manager of information systems. But like dozens of power companies around the nation, GreyStone is very interested in the prospects for what is known as broadband over power line, or BPL."
Motorola Plans BPL Hybrid
2/10/2006, RedHerring.com -- The U.S. mobile giant plans a mostly wireless way to offer broadband over power lines. It dodges interference problemsby using the company's Canopy Wireless technology to avoid high-voltage powerlines. All technology is installed outside the home, making the installation process easier for users as well, claims the company.
Utility expands phone business, eyes cable TV service
2/9/2006, TMC Net -- "J.R. Clark, a UTC economics professor who helped author a study last year of municipal broadband systems, said only one of the 200 communities analyzed met their projections and turned a profit from their cable TV or Internet systems. 'Your odds of success are much better going to Las Vegas than entering this volatile and rapidly changing business,' Dr. Clark said. 'The bottom line is that competitive broadband, cable and Internet service is not the same as running a monopoly electric, gas or water utility.'"
BPL: Fine-Tuning or Spin-Doctoring?
1/27/2006, EDN.com -- "'Looks like broadband-over-powerline promoters are getting frustrated with the 'interference' they're receiving from the amateur radio community. COMTek unveiled a release earlier this week claiming that 'it has voluntarily adjusted nearly 600 broadband over powerline (BPL) devices in Manassas, VA., and that there remains no'documented basis for further ham radio operator concerns.'"
Idacorp subsidiary pulls out of BPL business
1/27/2006, Idaho Statesman -- "IdaComm, a telecommunications subsidiary of Boise-based IdaCorp Inc., is getting out of the broadband over power line business, the company said. . .The company has abandoned BPL after seeing that electric utilities were not immediately embracing the technology, Jan B. Packwood, IdaCorp's chief executive officer, said in a statement. 'It's a smart decision if indeed the BPL business cannot become profitable in any reasonable amount of time," said James Bellessa, an analyst with D.A. Davidson & Co.'"
Shock Radio for BPL Firm
1/25/2006, RedHerring.com -- "The ARRL claims that field tests conducted by Manassas amateur radio enthusiasts established that the city’s BPL system created interference at distances of hundreds of feet from the modems on overhead power lines."
CenterPoint pulls back on broadband testing
1/25/2006, Houston Chronicle -- "Emily Mir Thompson, a spokeswoman for the Houston company, indicated this week that while the company is 'still evaluating' this technology and will not release its findings until next month, CenterPoint is unlikely to offer it to consumers as a means to surf the Web. . . CenterPoint's anticipated decision is 'very common' among power companies that have ventured into this market, according to Christy Rickard, an associate analyst at Kagan Research. . . But in some cases, this technology has had adverse effects on other forms of communication, including HAM radio. David Woolweaver, a Harlingen resident and National Association of Amateur Radio member, described the phenomenon as 'a major problem.'"
Motorola's BPL Tech Gets Approved
1/16/2006, Sci Tech Today -- "ARRL has not endorsed the Powerline LV solution but officials for the association expressed optimism that it would be a BPL system that could coexist effectively with ham-radio operations. Illman said the organization has cited the Motorola solution 'as an example to the FCC as to how it can be done right.'"
Shock Radio for BPL Firm
1/12/2006, RedHerring.com -- Broadband over power lines provider responds to ham radio group’s calls for a system shutdown. "'The Manassas system should be shut down if they can’t get it fixed,” said AARL (sic) spokesperson Allen Pitts. “It’s unfortunate for ComTek that in their hurry they went with an early BPL design that causes problems.' According to Mr. Pitts, the Manassas system should be taken off the air for reconfiguration and re-engineering, and if it cannot be fixed it should be discontinued. ComTek Vice President Walt Adams countered that his company has operated the system “with virtually no hitches to date. . . . The opposition from these almost entirely non-Manassas individuals and their national organization appears to be grounded in a fundamental opposition to BPL rather than any hard facts,' said Mr. Adams. Note: A report of the present status of the BPL system in Manassas was compiled by Manassas-area licensed Amateurs: . In recent articles, ARRL has been generally supportive of BPL systems and operators whose design does not cause major interference problems. See It Seems to Us: Better BPL?
Powerline's other data channel
1/5/2006, EDN Europe -- "In a recent discussion among EDN editors on the subject of broadband-over-powerline, one of the more cynical of us made the observation that 'the main thing that's changed about that over the years is the constantly increasing frequency at which it just fails to work.' That may be a little harsh, but has a ring of truth about it. It lead to my colleague Maury Wright's article 'Riding the sine wave' that you can read at (Reference 1), in which he reviews some of the recent efforts at delivering data over the same wiring that provides mains power in our homes and offices. You can also read some of Senior Technical Editor Brian Dipert's less-than-100%-positive experiences with in-home power-net data-routing hardware, in his 'Brians Brain' blog."
Problems at Home?
1/1/2006, xchange magazine -- While addressing how to get broadband around inside the home, with BPL only part of the equation, the author is not kind to BPL. "Problems With Power: Every TV or IP-enabled multimedia device requires power. So it makes sense that running IP over power would be both convenient and cost effective. It is, but there's a catch. The powerline infrastructure within homes was designed to deliver power, not digital multimedia content. While many new products are boasting theoretical bandwidth speeds of up to 200mbps, tests have shown much lower usable bandwidth rates. This occurs particularly when signals are attenuated by circuit breakers or when there is heavy power consumption by other devices. In short, pushing data through the power infrastructure introduces a unique set of challenges that powerline as a technology has not presently solved. They include ..."
Tshwane gets Internet hubba hubba
12/2/2005, The Mail&Guardian online (South Africa) -- "The City of Tshwane is testing the delivery of broadband Internet and voice services on its new fibre-optic tele-communications network that blankets the entire metro. Dave Gale, head of telecoms service provider Storm, confirmed that it was the chosen partner for the pilots and that all voice-over Internet protocol calls and ADSL connections were via its diginet line in Woodmead, Johannesburg. 'Kuun's [NB: Charles Kuun, head of the Tshwane Digital Hub] dream is to drive telecoms costs down in Tshwane by 90%. Whether we are going to make it, I don't know,' said Gale. 'I have a feeling it will be more like 50%.' Gale said results from tests on
power-line communication have been 'awesome' and that Storm is running tests that allow residents to simply plug a modem into a power socket and connect."
BPL: Not Even a Niche: Limited rural solution, not great broadband hope
11/23/2005, DSL Reports -- "'I wouldn't even call [broadband over power lines] a niche,' says a Redback Networks marketing exec to Networking Pipeline. 'For most, it would be the second or third choice behind cable and DSL.' Seems like recent BPL articles (also see TechNewsWorld) have shaken off the un-bridled optimism, and are now pigeon-holing the technology as a limited rural broadband solution. If utilities can make the numbers work and control interference (What we've been saying for several years). That's a far cry from ex-FCC chief Powell's tag of "great broadband hope."
Broadband Over Power Lines: Ready For A Big Breakthrough?
11/21/2005, INTERNETWEEK MARKETPLACE --"Broadband over power lines faces technology and business challenges, though. As the technology exists today, broadband over power lines offers a maximum capacity of about 4 MB, according to Ted Demopoulos, an IT business consultant based in Durham, NH...Even that maximum speed is theoretical and could drop quickly if many people are accessing the broadband service at the same time, Song adds. While cable and DSL have had the same sharing issues, those technologies and infrastructures have been upgraded, so adding more users to the system isn't as noticeable to legacy users. Broadband over power lines uses radio signals, so it also interferes with some emergency communications and can have noise issues of its own, according to Demopoulos. 'The power lines were never devised to carry this type of signal.' The competing technologies don't have these noise issues."
Riding the sine wave: Broadband data hitches a ride with an unlikely carrier
11/10/2005, Electronic Design News -- This article may be the definitive BPL article that best describes the systems and their present status. "Proponents of BPL (broadband-over-power-line) technology insist that the best wires for the last mile were strung and connected long ago. But BPL still faces technical hurdles, a potentially nasty standards fight, and angry amateur-radio operators. . . With BPL rolling out, however, ham operators around the world are the leading voices of dissent, because some BPL installations interfere with ham operations. There is no question that BPL systems emit energy that acts as interference to radio communications. The overhead power lines are unshielded and cover a lot of geography--especially when a utility runs data along MV lines. Some in the BPL industry have characterized the ham operators as lunatics with nothing better to do than complain. Some of these "lunatics" claim that the BPL industry will interfere with emergency communications, leading to catastrophe. Others argue that the technology ultimately lacks the capacity to serve the stated goals of voice, data, and video. Fortunately, there are some reasonable people on both sides of the issue. The National Association for Amateur Radio represents the ham operators. The group still uses the acronym ARRL (American Radio Relay League) from its legacy group. ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare has been involved with testing BPL systems and has worked with the HPA group and companies such as Motorola to try to make BPL work. Hare states, 'My goal is to help BPL succeed. Not all BPL systems will cause interference.'"
BPL battleground moves to Virginia
11/1/2005, Mobile Radio Technology magazine -- "The war between amateur radio operators and broadband-over-powerline providers has a new skirmish line: the historic city of Manassas, Va., where local, state and even federal officials have welcomed Communication Technologies as the city's BPL network provider and ARRL -- formerly known as the American Radio Relay League -- has asked the FCC to shut the system down. . . 'They've been working on it for 18 months, and they haven't fixed the problem,' said David Sumner, ARRL's CEO. 'Instead they hold news conferences and media circuses touting the wonders of their system. The system is dirty.' . . . The system is up and running to about 700 subscribers and available to 12,500 other premises in the 10-square-mile city. Meanwhile, problems are being addressed, said Walter Adams, vice president of new technology at COMTek. . . . In a true emergency, however, there would be no power, and without power, BPL wouldn't work, so it couldn't interfere with high-frequency radios, said Adams, who also said that the hams' role in emergency communications is being usurped in many cases by advanced satellite technologies. . . . Although both sides agree there is interference in Manassas, they disagree on how much, whether it's harmful and whether it's being resolved to the satisfaction of all parties. . . .'Manassas is probably one of the most measured and monitored BPL deployments in the U.S.,' Adams said. We have the NTIA out there, the FCC out there, the Department of Defense out there, AT&T, the hams, the FBI, the National Security Administration.'"
Powerline Followup: Is DS2 For You? Part 1 Part 2
11/1/2005, EDN -- This blog entry outlines the tests done by the author on the installation of DS2 modems in his residence.
Broadband options abound for cities
11/1/2005, WCF Courier -- This article discusses broadband options being considered in Waterloo, IA, from BPL to fiber to wireless. "Rick Young, with Opportunity Waterloo, said such a decision on the future of broadband access in Waterloo should be left up to the utility commission, should one be established after next Tuesday's vote. 'We are not advocating any system or technology,' Young said. <Alan> Shark, with the Public Technology Institute, said just because another city is providing Internet access one way doesn't mean it will work for Waterloo. 'Every community would have to assess itself. What's good for one city is not necessarily good for another city,' Shark said."
IdaComm tests high-speed access over power lines; analysts wonder if enough people will sign up
10/25/2005, Idaho Statesman -- This article describes IdaComm's work as a BPL consultant with IdaCorp and other utilities. "It has yet to be seen whether BPL will turn a profit for IdaComm and other companies, said James Bellessa, an analyst with D.A. Davidson Co. in Great Falls, Mont. 'They think this is an area that will serve them well and give them growth,' Bellessa said. "Nowhere in the U.S. has the model been fully proven that it works for a utility.' IdaComm would be wise to continue focusing on consulting work in this area until the BPL technology is standardized and other utilities prove they can make a profit from it, Bellessa said. The biggest challenge facing BPL across the nation is that'it's late' and will have a hard time competing against the already well-established DSL and cable modem connections, said Michael Cai, director of broadband and gaming research at Parks Associates, a Dallas-based market research and consulting firm for digital technologies in the home."
FCC complaint filed on Manassas service: Group says city's new high-speed Internet causes interference
10/22/2005, Times Dispatch -- " 'Our effort is to try to highlight this and cause the FCC to realize that this is a bigger aggregate problem than they probably thought was going to be,' said Christopher Imlay, general counsel for the association, also known as the American Radio Relay League Inc. . . Imlay says the city and COMTek have been unresponsive to fixing the interference issues and COMTek's claims that it fixed band segments with "notches" are either false or those devices have been removed. COMTek and city officials have been responsive to complaints by addressing past interference issues and meeting with ham operators several times, countered Walter Adams, COMTek's vice president of new technology, and John D. Hewa, Manassas' director of utilities. Most of the problems are isolated incidents or not related to BPL, said Adams, who said the company does not comment on specific action it is taking to correct the interference issues. Manassas, which contributed $400,000 to the $2 million project, provides the staff to install and maintain the technology, while COMTek owns and operates the BPL network."
Surfing Through the Power Grid
10/20/2005, Wired.com -- This article says some positive things about the deployments in Cincinnati and Manassas, but then draws some strong conclusions about the interference issues: "But that doesn't mean internet traffic doesn't interfere with other signals. BPL faces continuing criticism that transmitting data over unshielded power lines can interfere with both ham radio broadcasts and police and fire radios. That's one of the issues that has slowed BPL adoption, said Joe Laszlo, research director at Jupiter Research who covers broadband. A number of BPL trials around the country 'have been canceled or scaled back because of interference issues,' he said, 'or because the cost of deploying was much higher than the utilities expected.'"
Powerline Weakened by Challenges, Firm Says
10/19/2005, Electronic News -- "PLCs offer theoretical benefits to some consumers and some providers, but ABI Research has shown that these are still infant technologies facing significant obstacles to success. According to Vamsi Sistla, ABI Research's director of broadband research, in a statement, 'BPL does offer benefits to utilities including more efficient use of the electrical grid and better telemetry for tracking faults and failures.' BPL therefore enjoys support from governments and regulators. Utilities, eyeing the opportunity to offer Internet access to their customers, are also enthusiastic, Sistla noted. However, serious bandwidth and radio interference issues remain, and would-be BPL vendors face stiff competition from incumbent DSL and cable networks. 'The best opportunities for BPL will be in regions with poor telecom infrastructure, where cable is too expensive and modest access speeds will suffice. Eastern Europe, China and India are good examples,' Sistla continued."
BPL standards may be released soon
10/19/2005, My ADSL -- Although this article discusses the development of BPL industry standards, it has an interesting side subject of BPL deployment in rural areas: "BPL has been touted in South Africa as a possible solution for providing Internet access to remote and rural areas. Whilst further investigation is required some industry players overseas like Alan Shark, executive director of Public Technology Institute, state that BPL may not be the solution to provide connectivity for these areas. According to Shark repeaters are required every few hundred meters along the electrical conduit to ensure that the service is not degraded. He reported to FCM Com that this service may be more suitable for areas where there are clusters of homes. He added that there is newer technology available that reconstitutes the signal but that it may currently be too expensive to represent a feasible option. Industry seems to support this idea as recently one of the major U.S. BPL backers, PPL Corp, pulled out stating that it was not financially viable to continue offering this service."
Broadband interference: Internet over power lines may jam airwaves, but remedies exist
10/17/2005, FCW.com -- "Alan Shark, executive director of Public Technology, a technology organization that works with several cities and counties, said he is a fan of ham radio operators. But their complaints that BPL technology causes significant interference are misguided, he said. ... <Walter Adams, a Communication Technologies vice president,> said the FCC offers a prescriptive mandate that states that BPL technology should not harmfully interfere with ham radios. 'It's not a question of whether BPL interferes with ham radios. It does,' he said. 'But then again so does your garage door opener, so does your diesel engine or your car. It's a question of how harmful it is in terms of how loud it is and how much interference' it causes." ARRL Note: None of these devices operate for 24 hours a day with interference stretching along over a kilometer of overhead power line from each injection point. [NOTE: ARRL does not have a single case of interference on file that shows a garage-door opener causing harmful interference to the Amateur Radio Service. ed]
Web extra: Broadband over power lines not suited for rural areas
10/17/2005, Federal Computer Week -- The technology may be too expensive to deploy in remote and rural areas at this time, experts say ... "However, Shark, who has previously served as executive director of the Rural Broadband Coalition and president and chief executive officer of the Power Line Communications Association, said BPL might not be the answer to providing Internet service to rural or remote areas where traditional telecommunications providers have been reluctant to make investments. He said BPL is basically touted as a last half-mile solution. Shark said you need repeaters along the electrical conduit every few hundred feet so the service isn’t degraded, but that might be too expensive a proposition for BPL providers. He said there might be hope for areas where there is a cluster of homes or some density. He also said newer technology that reconstitutes the signal for its entire trip is available, but might also still be too expensive."
End of Internet over power lines?: PPL calls it quits but a telecom company pushes on in Virginia.
10/16/2005 Morning Call -- "PPL of Allentown was widely considered one of the county's leaders in broadband over power lines. Its unexpected announcement seemed a dark omen for a technology that the head of the Federal Communications Commission once proclaimed to be 'within striking distance of becoming the third major broadband pipe into the home.' But PPL never said the broadband service didn't work. The company came to the conclusion that it wasn't profitable. It couldn't charge a high enough price in the face of stiff competition from cable and telephone companies, and its pool of potential customers -- 1.3 million Pennsylvania electricity customers -- was too small. 'The economies of scale wouldn't work,' PPL spokesman Jim Santanasto said."
Powerline Pessimism
10/10/2005, EDN magazine blog -- This article outlines the difficulties that EDN's senior technical editor, Brian Dipert, has had implementing HomePlug and DS2 modem in-premises BPL in testing he did in his residence.
BPL Has Coming Out Party - Does Anyone Care?
10/6/2005, TMC Net -- "Ham radio, however, may not be the biggest obstacle for widespread commercial BPL success. Analysts at energy research and consulting firm Energy Insights concluded in a study entitled "Broadband over Power Line: Impact for Utility Companies" that BPL will continue to generate far more hype than actual subscribers. 'We believe that a lack of utility expertise in running commercially successful consumer telecom businesses and a poor track record for success, combined with utility reluctance to rapidly adopt new technologies, and competition from DSL, cable modems, and other emerging technologies will limit the growth of BPL,' said Rick Nicholson, vide president of research for Energy Insights, in a prepared statement. The major hurdle, and its just a small one, is making BPL commercially viable for utilities."
Nation's First Citywide Broadband-Over-Powerline Site Inaugurated
10/5/2005 -- The city-wide rollout in Manassas, VA is not without its problems. Amateurs in the area have filed formal interference complaints about the operation of the system and intend to renew those complaints with the FCC. The claim that "interference can be fixed" continues, but that has not yet proven to be the case after over a year's trying.
PPL Corp. Ditches Internet Program
10/4/2005, Times-Tribune -- "The cost of a full-scale roll-out would be very high, Mr. Santanasto said, though he declined to say how much. Skimming enough customers from cable and telephone companies to make it profitable was unlikely, he said."
PPL ending trial of 'broadband over power lines': Internet access method it helped pioneer proved unprofitable.
10/4/2005, The Morning Call -- This article notes that PPL's BPL venture to 300 customers was abandoned because it was not profitable. The article notes, "Other power companies have not yet come to the same conclusion. More than a dozen electric utilities nationwide are experimenting with the technology."
PPL scraps retail internet-over-power-lines trial
10/3/2005, Reuters -- In reporting about the ending of the major BPL trial by PPL in Allentown, PA, Reuters notes, "Still, some analysts have warned that most utilities don't have the skills to compete in the market or the balance sheets to support the capital investments that would be necessary to get BPL up and running."
Lehigh Valley BPL Pilot Scrapped PPL Telecom won't pursue
10/2/2005 -- PPL Telecom has decided to scrap its broadband over power line trials currently underway in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley (Press release). Customers had told us the company offered 1.5Mbps/1.5Mbps speeds at $20 a month for 3 months, and $37 thereafter. "While our market trials indicate that BPL technology is promising, the combination of a competitive marketplace and the need for significant scale has led us to the decision not to proceed as a retail communications service provider," says company president David Kelley.
PPL Corporation Will End Its Residential Broadband Over Power Lines Market Trial
10/3/2005, Yahoo -- PPL announced that it is ending its BPL
