Emergency Communications

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Broadband Over Power Lines --- --- Curse or Cure?
Dennis L. Kidder - WA6NIA
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nuff said?
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Broadband over Power Lines

• What is BPL?
• Why does it exist?
• How does it work?
• Why is it a threat?
• FCC pilot programs
• What can be done to stop the threat?

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BPL- What is it?

• BPL provides high-speed Internet access
• Uses existing power distribution grid
• Medium voltage distribution system
• Properly called Access BPL
• Also known by PLC, PLT, PLB

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BPL- What is it?

• Three major types of BPL
• Access BPL Medium voltage dist grid
• In-building HomePlug systems
• Control PLC lt 500 KHz

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Why does it exist?

• FCCs Broadband Mission Statement
• Promote availability to every American
• Alternative to DSL, cable, satellite, etc
• Cheap, versus incumbent services
• Helps FCC achieve their goal
• Possible huge profits
• Power companies see additional revenue
• New BPL industry providing hardware

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How does it work?

• Spread-spectrum at 2-80 MHz
• Uses power transmission lines
• Inherent problems with this
• Lines too wide spaced to be effective
• Very lossy
• Requires extensive hardware upgrades
• System radiates and is symmetrical
• Subject to and source of interference
• Part 15 limits 30 uV/m at a distance of 30
  meters
• So, how does it work?

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• Not very well

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Why is it a threat?

• Antenna vs transmission line
• Pilots already demonstrate problems
• Existing systems such as HomePlug
• Carrier current systems
• Use house wiring as distribution
• AR Inc has experienced interference
• Forced to cease ops at one site

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Transmission Lines 101.1
Net field is nearly 0
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Transmission Lines 101.2
Net field is sum of positives
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Whats the FCC Thinking?

• April 2003 - Notice of Inquiry
• Over 5000 responses
• Filing time extended in August
• Abernathy Broadband Nirvana comment
• Experimental Licenses granted
• NPRM issued 23 Feb 2004 Docket 04-37

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Whats the FCC Thinking?

• Partial list of experimental licenses

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Whats the FCC Thinking?

• BPL is already allowed under Part 15
• However - not efficient
• High non-recurring costs
• High loss
• Interference from other services
• Broadband orgs want less restrictions
• Raise max power level
• Eliminate Part 15 altogether

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FCCs New Spectrum Plan
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The Pilot Programs

• Do not appear to be any in So Cal, yet
• San Diego Gas and Electric reconsidering BPL
• Town of Anza is considering BPL (not likely due
  to )
• SoCal Edison announced no BPL (this may change)
• LA DWP is watching the results
• Nearby pilot Cottonwood, AZ
• ARRL cites severe interference far exceeding
  Part 15
• Willful and repeated activity, subject to fines

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More on Pilot Programs

• California Public Utilities Commission
• Commissioner Kennedy states
• criminal that California (has no) BPL pilot
• She wants to fix that!
• Menlo Park (CA) FCCs poster child site
• ATT and PGE joint venture scrapped
• Likely cause potential BPL interference

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ARRL BPL POC

• Ed Hare (W1RFI)
• Conducted qualitative field recordings
• Amateur interference reporting focus

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Recent Developments

• Several pilots have been discontinued
• Cedar Rapids, IA. Terminated June 25
• Unresolved interference with W0SR
• Penn Yan, NY. Pending shutdown
• Replacement with wireless WiFi system
• Raleigh, NC. Was to shut down end of August
• Progress will remove systems
• Relocate subscribers to other BB systems

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More Recent Developments

• Alternatives to BPL in some cities
• Grand Haven, MI
• City-wide wireless WiFi
• First in US
• Penn Yan, NY to deploy WiFi
• Here in CA
• Long Beach, Lompoc and Cerritos go WiFi
• Now, Hermosa Beach, Tehachapi entertaining idea

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Still More Recent Developments

• UPLC Comments June, 04
• Setting the record straight
• Urges FCC to ignore armchair amateurs that
  still use vacuum tube transmitters
• FCC adopts Report and Order, 14 Oct 2004
• 2 weeks later, RO published

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What about the Report and Order?

• Vile, nasty stuff .
• FCC does adopt some ARRL recommendations
• -but-
• Diminishes importance of Amateur Radio
• Places burden of proof on hams
• Are you going to move YOUR tower?
• Inadvertently admits to interference problem
• Govt users OK, but not in MY backyard!

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What can be done to stop the threat?

• FCC Part 15
• Supposed to protect licensed services
• Limits signal levels / permissible emissions
• Many entities speak out against BPL
• AR Inc. (Aeronautical Radio)
• NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information
  Admin)
• FEMA
• BPL will "Severely Impair" Mission-Essential HF
  Operations
• NASB (Natl Assoc of Shortwave Broadcasters)

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Filings

• Amateur Radio Organizations
• AMRAD
• AMSAT
• ARRL, The National Association for Amateur Radio
• Austrian Amateur Radio Society
• Central States VHF Society
• Colorado Council of Amateur Radio Clubs
• Northern California DX Foundation
• Potomac Valley Radio Club
• Radio Club of Tacoma
• Redwood Empire DX Association
• Roadrunners Microwave Group
• Six Meter International Radio Klub
• Southeastern VHF Society
• Tampa Amateur Radio Club

• Government and Govt Associated
• Aeronautical Radio, Inc (ARINC)
• APCO Region 21 Frequency Advisory Committee
• Borough of Watchtung, NJ
• Disaster Emergency Response Association
• FCC Office of Engineering and Technology
• California Public Utilities Commission
• Emergency Management Agency, Papillion, NE
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• Lamar County Sheriffs Office
• Leo Independent Fire Company, Red Lion, PA
• Los Alamos National Laboratory
• Michigan Public Service Commission
• National Academy of Sciences
• National Telecommunications and Information
  Administration
• Public Safety Wireless Networks
• Somerset County Director of the Office of
  Emergency Management
• Traffic and Transportation Department, Lafayette,
  LA
• UNICEF

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Interference Reports

• Austrian Amateur Radio Society (Austria)
• Thomas Vinson (Cedar Rapids, IA)
• Fred Spinner (Cedar Rapids, IA)
• Frank Lynch (Raleigh, NC)
• Gary Pearce (Raleigh, NC)
• Kenneth Slough (Raleigh, NC)
• Fletcher Penn (Raleigh, NC)
• Robert Conder (Raleigh, NC)
• Robin Keller (Raleigh, NC)
• Thomas Brown (Raleigh, NC)
• Mark Gibson (Raleigh, NC)
• Jeff Keller (Raleigh, NC)
• Carl Stevenson (Emmaus, PA)
• Brian Kelly (Emmaus, PA)
• Clifford Chamney (Cape Girardeau, MO)

• Tom Talley (Cape Girardeau, MO)
• Randy Atkinson (Cape Girardeau, MO)
• Steven Dove (Emmaus, PA)
• Charles Stark (Briarcliff Manor, NY)
• George McCouch (Cape Girardea, MO)
• Mark Reising (Cincinatti, OH)
• Alan Croswell (Briarcliff Manor, NY)
• Steven Holton (Briarcliff Manor, NY)
• Richard Ayers (Penn Yan, NY)
• William Reiter (Penn Yan, NY)
• David Hallidy (Penn Yan, NY)
• Paul Alexander (Potomac, MD)
• Michael Scalia (Briarcliff Manor, NY)
• Timothy Slay (Unspecified locations)
• Donald R. Hilinsky (Unspecified location)

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BPL Industry/Utility Filings

• Adaptive Networks
• Ambient
• Ameren Energy Communications Inc.
• American Public Power Association
• Amperion
• ATT
• Aura Communications
• Cinergy
• Consolidated Electric Cooperative
• Current Technologies
• Duncan Valley Electric Cooperative
• Echelon
• Electric Broadband
• Enikia
• Exelon
• Florida Power and Light
• HomePlug
• Intellon
• Main.net

• National Rural Telecommunications
• Cooperative/National Rural Electric
• Cooperative Association
• Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative
• Net2Phone, Inc
• Northwest Power Cooperative
• Phonex Broadband
• Power Line Communications Association
• Power Comm Systems
• Powerwan
• PPL Telecom
• Progress Energy
• REC Networks
• Satius
• Southern LINC Southern Telecom, Inc.
• Southern Company Services, Inc.
• Southern Line et al
• United PowerLine Council
• xG Technology

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Other Filings

• Other Organizations
• Academy of Model Aeronautics
• Alliance for Public Technology
• The Amherst Alliance
• Call for Action, Inc.
• Citizens Broadcast Discussion Group
• Herald Broadcasting Syndicate
• IEEE Power Systems Committee
• Information Technology Industry Council
• Joint Cable Operators
• National Antenna Consortium
• National Association of Broadcasters/Association
  for Maximum Service Television
• National Association of Shortwave Broadcasters
• National Public Radio
• North American Shortwave Association
• Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute
• REACT, International
• Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc.
• The Wireless Communications Association
  International, Inc.

• Other Industry
• ALTS
• Cingular Wireless
• Covad
• GE Medical Systems
• Globe Wireless
• Harris Corporation
• MCI
• Pulver.Com
• Quantum Magnetics
• QWEST Communications
• Sprint Corporation
• Verizon
• Zone Innovations

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What can be done to stop the threat?

• Too late to file comments at FCC
• ARRLs Spectrum Defense Fund
• Letter campaign - write
• Congresspersons
• FCC Commissioners
• Other spectrum users
• Power Utilities
• BPL Manufacturers

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Additional Information

• Check out ARRL, ARALB Web sites
• http//www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/
• http//www.arrl.org/ehare/bpl/NOI_hyperlinks.html
  
• http//www.aralb.org/bpl
• http//www.w4ovh.org/bplinfo.htm