Last Friday, the FCC issued a new notice of proposed rulemaking requesting further comment on whether power line systems and devices interfere with other transmission of radio signals.

In 2007, the American Radio relay league went to court with the FCC regarding its plans for broadband over power line technology.  Their main argument was that the service interfered with transmissions from ham radio signals, and demonstrated examples, such as this.

In April 2008, the DC circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia sided with two of the American Radio Relay League complaints.  The court found that the FCC had insufficiently explained its stance for the BPL standards it had established.  And secondly, the court had found there was “little doubt that the commission deliberately attempted to exclude from the record evidence adverse to its position.”

Now though, the FCC has released fully transparent case studies after the ARRL FOIA requests.  The commission is requesting feedback on the type of power levels it should authorize for broadband over power line technology.  The “extrapolation factor” of BPL emissions is there primary focus.  Testing how quickly the BPL emissions decay at different levels of power strength will be reviewed.  In past case studies, the FCC has suggested using 40 dB per decade for frequencies less than 30 MHz.  The ARRL would like to see that number cut in half, and cited studies in favor of its position.

The commission has stated that its possibly willing to go with a 30 dB per decade transmission, even though it could increase the compliance burden for BPL equipment.

We’ll now wait for the ARRL to respond to this latest proposal by the FCC.

Possibly signing the blue-chip name of IBM will bring some fruition to those needed markets this time around.  Improved technology and low-interest federal loans will help fuel the idea.

“The technology is important but what’s really important is this is a seminal moment in the delivery of broadband services to rural customers,” said Bill Moroney, the head of the Utilities Telecom Council, an industry trade group. “Here’s a beginning and really a great leap forward.”

Statistics from the FCC for 2006, the most recent year available, indicate that less than 5000 households in the United States are currently accessing the Internet through BPL technology.  IBM’s $9.6 million deal with IBEC should help those numbers.  According to IBEC Chief executive Scott Lee, the project should take around two years to complete with a budget of $70 million.  The basic service will start around $29.95 per month, with approximately 340,000 homes in Alabama, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin getting the goods.

“Reliable distribution of high speed data within a consumer’s home is the key to a successful deployment of triple play services,” said Andrew Morton, Comtrend’s General Manager, in a press release. “With the advancement of high speed technologies over copper or fiber for carrier deployment the home network is the final frontier to deliver such services as High Definition TV to any room in a home. The PowerGrid 904 meets our telco customers’ current and future needs with breakneck speeds up to 400Mbps over power lines, QoS, remote management and repeater function.”

The PowerGrid 904 starts shipping in early 2008. Using a chipset from DS2, this powerline adapter will allow users increased connectivity.

With competition already offering the coveted “triple-play” bundle of voice, video and internet connection, DirectTV and The Current Group will likely have to undercut the current $100 average for those services. That’s good for consumers. With margins tight already, Current has the advantage of not having to upgrade networks with new wires.

The BPL service is reported to offer upload and download speeds of 8 megabits per second. It will be fierce competition with Verizon offering their FiOS service, and AT&T already establishing Wi-Fi hot spots. Officials at Current are optimistic though.

“Internet delivered over power lines offer upload speeds that are as fast as download speeds,” said Brendan Herron, Current’s vice president for corporate development and strategy.

“That’s very important for people who play video games and use other services that involve uploading video from their computers. … This is going to be a compelling service.”

Broadband Focus always believes more competition is good for consumers.

‘”Gaining agreement for BPL system requirements is a major achievement and clears the way for the working group to create a solid standard,” says Jean-Philippe Faure, chair of the IEEE P1901 Working Group.”’

Ten years after the first tests with BPL were done in the UK, the technology still hasn’t gained a foothold. It was recently pointed out here on Broadbandfocus.com, that broadband deployment is at 0.008% of the broadband lines in the United States. Standards in the industry will clear up confusion for those providers seeking the path for BPL deployment.

“We are at an inflection point in the industry,” agreed Ralph Vogel, spokesmen for Utility.net, a Los Angeles-based BPL integrator. “Its position is similar to that of DSL in the late 1990s: people have heard of it, and while we were previously not quite there yet with the technology, we are now.”

In fact, one technology consultant in Cincinnati had this to say about his BPL internet connection. ‘”It seems equivalent to standard cable service and a little faster than standard DSL,” he noted. “But the speed is not asynchronous, meaning you get the same speed upstream and downstream.” “I can’t get same bandwidth for any price close to it from another carrier,” he said.’

His Broadband over power line connection runs at a speed of roughly 3M bit/sec. Consider that speed is heading both upstream, and downstream, BPL offers a considerable advantage over cable internet connections that cap the upstream speed significantly.

Add the flexibility of having the internet connection available through any power outlet in his house, and you have a no-brainer for internet hungry consumers. Current estimates project the growth of the current 150,000 customer base, to exceed 2.5 million in just four years. This, according to Chris Rodin, analyst at Parks Associates in Dallas, Texas. Barhorst receives his internet connection from the utility Duke Energy. The internet service is handled by the company, Current Communications, located in Germantown, Maryland.

The Keynote address really lays out the groundwork for the Program,

‘The purpose of the UPLC is to drive the development of BPL in North America and during the keynote address you will learn about the key drivers as BPL goes commercial this year. The keynote address will explain why BPL makes sense from a business perspective for broadband and smart-grid applications; how BPL promotes various public policies; and what technical capabilities BPL provides.’

A few of the topics to be discussed include:

• Regulatory Green Light for BPL
• Technical Capabilities of BPL
• BPL Deployment Case Study
• Practical Issues: Pole Attachments
• Practical Issues: Managing a BPL Implementation

Information and details are available at the United Power Line Council.

‘“Both consumer demand and business factors will drive this growth,” said Chris Roden, research analyst at Parks Associates. “On the consumer side, many rural residents don’t have access to DSL or cable, but every house in the U.S. has access to power lines. This technology is often the only option for these residents to receive broadband service. On the business side, utility companies will also drive BPL’s growth. BPL gives utilities more information to better manage power demand and troubleshoot line issues.”’

It seems inevitable that BPL will push it’s way mainstrem eventually. The recent classification of BPL service by the FCC points that way at least.

‘ Gary A Cohen, general manager, global communications, IBM, confirmed that his company is launching a pilot project in India soon. IBM has introduced this technology in countries like Italy, Germany, Spain, Belgium and the US. Besides India, it is planning to introduce the technology in China too.’

BPL will offer these electric utilities a whole new revenue stream. Not withstanding, Broadband Over Power Line will also help to make a more intelligent electricy network with new possibilities of meter management.

The broadband over power line providers interested in providing this Internet service to the public are mainly electric utility companies who will be able to push broadband Internet through their existing power grid. For consumers this means more competition, and lower prices for broadband service. The two main providers of Internet access currently are dominated by cable and DSL. With his FCC designation it will allow broadband over power line the same regulatory restrictions as the dominant players.

This action was taken by the FCC Commission, November 3, 2006, by Memorandum Opinion and Order (FCC 06165), and gets the ball rolling for further BPL development.