http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/ Engadget Comments for FCC's broadband over power lines expansion hits major snag http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 28th 2008 8:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 28th 2008 8:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 28th 2008 9:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 28th 2008 9:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/
@Skorpius - You might want to thank Ham Radio Operators, they are the ones that invented the original WIFI protocols and are the ones that are going to help save your ass if there is ever a natural disaster, weather, or an attack on the country.]]>Apr 28th 2008 9:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 28th 2008 9:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 28th 2008 9:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 28th 2008 10:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 29th 2008 12:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 29th 2008 4:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 29th 2008 9:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/
If you give me a callsign, I can find out (in less than a minute if I have a decent internet connection) the name, and address registered with the FCC for that callsign. Think before you post.]]>Apr 29th 2008 9:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/
More on ARRL and their concern for the effects of BPL on Amateur radio (and other services) here: http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/
]]>Apr 28th 2008 9:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 28th 2008 9:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 28th 2008 9:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/
Another long time ham operator...]]>Apr 28th 2008 9:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 28th 2008 9:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/03/22/1/ ]]>Apr 28th 2008 11:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 28th 2008 9:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/
Had to say it.]]>Apr 28th 2008 9:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 28th 2008 9:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 28th 2008 9:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/
73 de KL1TN]]>Apr 28th 2008 9:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/
Ham operators (I'm not one) stepped up and worked tirelessly round the clock helping families on the coast call their loved ones who were away from home, desperately wanting a status. These guys were heroes.

Wait-let me put it in your terms. How would you like it if you couldn't play Warcraft on your PC for a couple of weeks, and Ham operators helped emergency crews and FEMA get your PC powered up again.........?]]>Apr 28th 2008 9:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 28th 2008 10:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/
Blocking me from getting out of my Telco/Comcast hell by not allowing a third true(beside satellite broadband) isp into my area is an asshole move. ]]>Apr 29th 2008 3:32AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/
You're missing the point.
So when the power's out, sure, the HF signal works.
But what about the people LISTENING for those signals in areas that aren't hit with the outages? THEY CAN'T HEAR THEM TRANSMITTING!

The FCC rules are clear: the BPL providers can NOT interfere with primary users of spectrum. Period.

The BPL providers are doing that. But because of the huge amount of lobbying done by these people (remember, $ talks in Washington), the FCC is letting them skate.

Another point: okay, so it works when the power's out. Would you invest money into a technology you could only use then? I sure wouldn't. ]]>Apr 30th 2008 1:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/
all you "amateur radio" enthusiasts: get a life, cell phones, satellite XM radio, and 2-mile compact walkie-talkies that can actually fit in your pocket is where it's at now.

"10-4 ssssssssssssssh psssssssh *beep beep* psssssssh 10-4 got that roger" .... sheesh. i hope they lose the lawsuit.]]>Apr 28th 2008 10:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 28th 2008 10:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 28th 2008 10:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 29th 2008 12:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/


Had to say it!]]>Apr 28th 2008 10:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/
The power companies want to pump broadband data through old aluminum wires that carry electricity. Zero shielding. It's not just bad for ham radio but mass deployed it leaks RF energy all over the place. Wireless cameras, AM radio, FM radio, television, cordless phones and potentially wifi could be affected

The reason it's more of a concern to hams is that HF radio is more likely to be effected than higher frequencies. However, for AM radio, HF radio used by Ham and world shortwave service, BPL could wipe out the whole chunk of the spectrum. This can also effect emergency communications.

BPL is a bad bad bad idea. ]]>Apr 28th 2008 10:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Your cure:
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-ICF-SW7600GR-Shortwave-Receiver-Reception/dp/B00006IS4X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1209436105&sr=8-1
]]>Apr 28th 2008 10:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/situation cut off from the outside world (think hurricane, tornado, ice storm).
Because, when every other form of communications stops working, and most usually do when a disaster happens, it's the VOLUNTEER ham radio
operators that provide valuable communications. Also, any of you who live
in areas prone to tornado's, ham weather spotters spot a lot more bad weather than radar.
So, the next time you see one of those cars/trucks with a zillion antennas,
give them a thumbs up.

73's
KB0GNK]]>Apr 28th 2008 10:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/
It has the potential to give high-speed internet access to everyone who has electricity. (pretty much, everybody except the amish). The Cable or DSL providers won't make the lines to reach the more rural areas, they all claim "There's no money in it. And Wireless internet access has too many problems and it can't compete even with DSL.

I say to Ham-radio operators: Stop fucking with progression. Ham-Radio is old and is slowly being taken over by practically every other form of wireless communication. Why should the people living in rural areas have snail-speed internet access because you want to use your old tech? Get with the times.

This is pretty much would be like the companies which built buggies, along with the people who built horses, were suing Ford Moters back in the early 1900's because the advent of "horseless carriages" were now making them go out of business. ]]>Apr 28th 2008 10:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/KE4RUJ !!]]>Apr 29th 2008 12:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 29th 2008 8:04AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 28th 2008 11:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/
Radio remains one of the only mediums you can obtain information from w/out being connected and while this may not seem important now, it is the only way to obtain information privately.

It's also one of the few remaining mediums you don't have to pay for. I suppose you want people who can't afford internet or cable access to remain in the dark?

Oh, and need I mention, we have treaties with other nations not to jam their signals. Oh well...

With all the political turmoil and encroachment into your private lives brought about by things like homeland security, I should think more people would be grateful that SW exists. It still has potential to bring you news you may not get on CNN. (albeit biased news and a little "crazy" sometimes)

Aside from the practical uses, do you really think they can't come up with something better than this clunky BPL solution?

One answer is to use dish transmissions into a larger tower. Less interference and you can still cover large areas.

I live on a remote site too, with very little choices in terms of internet access. I'm one of the people who would be helped by BPL and you know what? NO THANKS!]]>May 10th 2008 7:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/
Our relentless technological advancement must be put in check and insure that staple technologies that make this world work.]]>Apr 28th 2008 11:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 28th 2008 11:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 29th 2008 3:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/
BPL is a huge problem for shortwave radio. The power lines in our country would become the largest antenna system ever created if this is implemented. The BPL signals must be extremely intense to make it to the end of the line, as power lines were designed to transmit _power_, not delicate signals. It's a god awful mess.

Ham operators can tell if their neighbor is using a HomePlug system or something similar, and (to borrow a Douglas Adams turn of phrase) that's peanuts to a large scale BPL roll-out. The FCC has ceased to be meaningful if they let this go through; it 'interferes' so badly it should have been tossed out long ago. Every redaction should be brought into public view, and the FCC should be ashamed they even considered BPL. If passed, this would be about as bad as the ISO passing OOXML to the FCC.

The US does need a way to get broadband to the more remote locales, but this is not the way to go about it. WiMAX / related tech, designed from the ground up for that purpose, is. Either that or calling the phone companies on the carpet for the infrastructure upgrades/expansions that the taxpayers paid for, but never happened. ]]>Apr 28th 2008 11:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/
As a gesture of gratitude towards the HAM community, India financed the construction and launch of HAMSAT (AMSAT - VO52), which is still in operation.

]]>Apr 28th 2008 11:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/
The strange thing is that the FCC is violating their own procedures. It is supposed to be protecting the licensed radio waves from interference. Instead it wants to wave the corporate flag for BAD technology. The ARRL supports and has worked with Motorola on GOOD BPL technology.

]]>Apr 28th 2008 11:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/
One of the things that you don't hear from the BPL companies is that you can't just hook up the Internet to one end of a hundred mile long stretch of power line and expect that everyone from the beginning to the end of that point will have Internet. Repeaters are required every few miles (might even be more frequent than that), and those devices aren't particularly cheap. Who is going to pay for that infrastructure? Do you want your electric bill going up to subsidize the one guy who lives at the end of a 12 mile stretch of road? Is that same guy going to pick up the costs all by himself?

The ARRL isn't anti-BPL, they are anti-BAD BPL. In fact, there are systems that effectively notch out interference to not only the ham radio band (and yes, I am a ham, K2DBK), but also do not interfere with public safety and military frequencies, among others.

You don't want to buy the point that the public service work that hams volunteer to do is important? Ok, fine. How about when your local fire department can't call back to dispatch to send more help because the VHF-Lo band has become useless due to BPL interference. Sure hope it's not your house that's burning when that happens.

What the ARRL objects to is the FCC not only making bad rules, but then even ignoring those rules themselves. This particular issue is only one of the things that's been a problem with the governments blind push to get BPL deployed. Those hams who live in areas where BPL has been deployed have repeatedly filed well-documented complaints about the interference that BPL causes that the FCC has chosen to not even bother to respond to.

The issue here is that BPL is simply not an effective technology. There are other methods available to provide high-speed broadband, but for whatever reason, the FCC has effectively "chosen" BPL as it's baby, and has attempted to push it's adoption, regardless of the technical consequences. ]]>Apr 28th 2008 11:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/@Paid HAM shils
@Paid cell phone intustry minions

FUCK YOU

Broadband over power lines is unstoppable now!!]]>Apr 28th 2008 11:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/Apr 29th 2008 1:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/fccs-broadband-over-power-lines-expansion-hits-major-snag/
HAM operators have provided, and will continue to provide, communications in time of need. I guess you don't care. Maybe you have everything you need set aside for that time when there is no power, no water, the stores are empty, and people around you are panicking. But too many aren't prepared. Too many communities have not established backup plans (this can cost a lot) for keeping the multiple agencies in touch with each other when the normal systems fail.

Many people volunteer to provide all kinds of services. I guess you could say we HAMs are the geeks of the voluteerism. And we're damn proud to help, even ungrateful fools who don't no any better.

HNKelley
KF6GEK]]>Apr 29th 2008 1:00AM