Cybertelecom Federal Internet Law & Policy An Educational Project

Internet over Powerline / BPL Reference

Federal Activity

• Rules: 47 CFR Part 15 Subpart G Access Broadband over Powerline
• Assistant Secretary Michael Gallagher spoke on "Broadband over Power Line" at a seminar hosted by Perkins Coie, CLE International and Idacom., NTIA 9/19/2005
• Potential Interference from Broadband over Power Line (BPL) Systems to Federal Government Radio Communications at 1.7 - 80 MHz - Phase I Study, NTIA (2004)

Notes

Carrier Current System "A system, or part of a system, that transmits radio frequency energy by conduction over the electric power lines.  A carrier current system can be designed such that the signals are received by conduction directly from connection to the power lines (unintentional radiator) or the signals are received over the air due to radiation of the radio frequency signals from the electric power lines (intentional radiator)."  47 CFR s 15.3(f).

Part 15 Wireless Interference rules Must accept interference from them and not cause interference to them.

Experiments & Field Trials

FCC Fourth Sec. 706 Report (Sept. 2004)

• Initial trials of BPL have begun in Manassas , Va. ; Allentown , Penn. ; and Cincinnati , Ohio . [p.23]

According to AARL "The FCC has issued 8 experimental licenses for BPL/PLC."
According to UPLC, the trial are
. Ameren -  Main.net
. American Electric Power - Amperion
. Cinergy - Current Technologies
. City of Manassas - Main.net
. Consolidated Edison - Ambient
. Culman Electric Cooperative - PowerComm Systems
. PEPCO - Current Technologies
. PPL - Main.net/Amperion
. Southern Company - Main.net/Ambient/PowerComm Systems
Power Line Link To Web On Way, TBO News Dec 8 (listing other trials)

Links

• Wikipedia Power Line Communications
• 6Power:  IPv6, QoS & Power Line Integration
• ARRL:  Association of Amateur Radio Operators (Opposed to BPL)
• American Public Power Association
• Current Technologies
• Free Press
• HomePlug
• IEEE Standardization of Broadband Over Power Line Technologies
• 7 June 2004 BPL Meeting, Denver, CO Presentations
• Main.net
• Media Fusion
• NARUC: Task Force on Broadband Over Powerlines
• Power Line Communications Association
• SpeedStream (Siemens)
• PALAS Powerline as an Alternative Local AcceSs
• PLCForum
• Powerline World
• United Power Line Council

Papers

• NARUC, Broadband over Powerline Report Feb 2005
• Osorio Urzúa, C. 2004. Bits of Power: The Involvement of Municipal Electric Utilities in Broadband Services, MS Thesis, Technology and Policy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Student Thesis)
• NARUC  BPL Security Working Group Draft White Paper (July04)
• NARUC Broadband over Power Lines: Where is the Technology Now ??? And Where are We Going ??? (July04)
  • Other NARUC Presentations
• NARUC Presentation Update on Broadband over Power Line in the U.S. (Jan04)
• American Public Power Association, 2004. “Public Power: Powering the 21st Century Through Community Broadband Services”
• EEI Broadband over Powerlines April 2004
• Rahul Tongia , Promises and False Promises of PowerLine Carrier (PLC) Broadband Communications - A Techno-Economic Analysis, TPRC 9/13/03
• Australian Communications Authority, Broadband Powerline Communications Systems - A Background Brief Sept 2003
• United Power Line Council, Broadband Broadband PowerLine PowerLine June 2003 (listing tech and trials)
• United Power Line Council, Update on Powerline Communications in America May 2003
• Addressing the Digital Divide with IPv6-enabled Broadband Power Line Communications, ISOC 5/12/03
• Power Line Local Area Networking, IEEE 4/17/03
• American Public Power Association. (2002). Public Power: Powering the 21st Century with Community Broadband Services PDF

News & Blogs

• Princeton IL Completes BPL Network - Radio service remains uninterrupted, dslreports 3/17/2008
• Broadband Over Power Adversaries Unite on Standard, Internet News 10/2/2007
• BPL Pilot Scrapped in Hawaii - Hawaiian Electric will focus on smart monitoring, Broadband Reports 6/13/2007
• Making BPL Play Nice - ARRL's Ed Hare on interference progress, Broadband Reports 5/15/2007
• DirecTV to Trial Internet Over Power-Lines This Year, Wired 5/15/2007
• Michigan BPL Project Expands - Speeds up to 3Mbps symmetrical., Broadband Reports 5/1/2007
• Broadband Over Power Lines - Is It for Real?, Ecommerce Times 5/1/2007
• IEEE Moves Forward on 802.11n, BPL - Though 802.11n still not expected until next year, Broadband Reports 3/14/2007
• Broadband over powerline is ready to explode, CW 3/1/2007
• Hams Demand FCC BPL Test Data - ARRL files FOIA request on Manassas tests, Broadband Reports 3/1/2007
• 2.5 Million BPL Customers By 2011, Broadband Reports 1/19/2007
• Powerline Broadband in Syracuse - $28.95 for symmetrical 5Mbps, Broadband Reports 1/5/2007
• Broadband Over Powerlines: The Technology Of The Perpetual Future.., Techdirt 12/1/2006
• Charlotte BPL Trial Expands - From 500 users to possibly 6,000, Broadband Reports 9/26/2006
• Earthlink Invests More in BPL - Current Communications gets $130 million, Broadband Reports 5/5/2006
• California OKs BPL, Red Herring 4/28/2006
• ARRL Calls on FCC to Shut Down Virginia BPL System, ARRL 10/14/2005
• Internet via power lines trial to start in India, Asia Times 10/7/2005
• Bring on the Third Battle of Manassas, PPF 10/7/2005
• Way cleared for broadband over California power line, Bizjournal 9/19/2005
• European Group Pushes Broadband Powerline Spec, Information Week 10/18/2005
• Power Companies Enter the High-Speed Internet Market, NYT 10/18/2005
• Broadband Over Power Lines: Ready For A Big Breakthrough?, Networking Pipeline 11/22/2005
• BPL Growing More Popular, Americas Network 10/28/2005
• FCC Directs Manassas BPL System to Act Following Ham's ..., ARRL 3/9/2006
• Broadband over power lines gets boost, Americas Network 3/2/2006
• League to FCC: Order an End to Arbitrary Access Limits to BPL, AARL 2/17/2006
• BPL advocates working to plug into Hill, Free Press 7/26/2005
• Pittsburgh Area To Get Pilot Broadband Power Line Program, Techweb 7/22/2005
• Google Invests in Broadband Over Power Line Company, Ecommerce Times 7/8/2005
• Firms Form Alliance To Bring Powerline Nets To Homes, Internet Week 6/3/2005
• Analysis: Slow start for broadband over power lines, World Peace Herald 2/25/2005
• Energy execs debate broadband over power lines, NW Fusion 11/12/2004
• Plugging Into the Net, Through the Humble Wall Outlet, NYT 10/29/2004
• Broadband to get power boost in Big Apple, CNET 10/19/2004
• Radio operators OK rules on Net over power lines, CNET 10/19/2004
• Broadband: More Power to You, Wired 10/15/2004
• FCC: Make Way for Speed Over Power, Internet news 10/15/2004
• FCC Clears Internet Access by Power Lines, NYT 10/15/2004
• US plugs into power-line broadband, Register 10/15/2004
• FCC Approves New Broadband Hookups, Wash Post 10/15/2004
• FCC Pushes Power-Line Broadband, WSJ 10/15/2004
• FEMA to FCC: BPL will "Severely Impair" Mission-Essential HF Operations, ARRL 12/9/2003
• Broadband from the electric company? No thanks, ZDNet Oct 2003
• Broadband Over Powerline - Call to Arms, EHam.net August 2003
• Broadband on the Power Lines, INC 7/11/03
• FCC Eyes Broadband Delivery Over Lines, EE Times 4/28/03
• FCC checks out Net over power lines, CNET 4/28/03
• Internet via the Power Grid: New Interest in Obvious Idea, NYT 4/11/03
• Power Lines Can Deliver Internet Access, AP 4/11/03
• FCC's Powell Lauds Power-Line Internet Service, Reuters 4/11/03
• Internet via the Power Grid: New Interest in Obvious Idea, NYT, 4/11/03
• Power Lines Can Deliver Internet Access, AP, 4/11/03
• FCC's Powell Lauds Power-Line Internet Service, Reuters, 4/11/03
• Power Line Local Area Networking, IEEE, 4/17/03
• Broadband Over Power Lines?, CRN 2/10/03
• Power Line Communications Association, ISP Planet 2/10/03
• Broadband May Move Over Power Lines, Mercury 2/10/03
• Broadband Over Power Lines? It's Possible, Mercury 2/10/03
• Regulatory Issues for Broadband Power Lines, CITI 10/3/02
• Blowing Broadband Out Of The Water, MSNBC 7/19/02
• New 'Instant Ethernet' Powerline Device Unveiled, Newsfactor 7/19/02
• Riding electric rails, CNET 6/3/02
• Broadband Alternative Gains Clout (power lines), Inews 12/28/01
• German lawmakers OK plan to provide Internet access through power outlets, Nando 4/2/01
• Consortium to announce HomePlug progress  Aim is Internet access via electrical outlets Boston.com 4/10
• Empowering the Net? Your average electrical socket could prove to be another competitor in the high-speed Net access sweepstakes.ABC News 3/9/00
• Powerline: The future of broadband?, C|NET June 2 1999