Broadband on powerlines coming to Australia
Broadband Over Power Line (BPL) (also called: Power Line Communications PLC), is a new technology that uses short-wave RF (1.7 to 80 Mhz + harmonics) pumped into the powerline grid so that residential and business people can simply connect to Broadband internet services.
There are a lot of problems with this system, especially interference with other services but it is being actively promoted in Australia without acknowledging the problems, and ignoring others, such as possible health implications.
Now that there will soon be public submissions on this technology it is important that this issue gets some publicity in Australia. Simply, this technology may transform your home wiring into an antenna, your bedside lamp, electric blanket, etc etc all will be radiating an RF signal. This signal is of sufficient strength to cause interference with ham radio operators and this problem has caused some BPL trial systems in the US to be shut down.
The Australian Communications Authority (ACA) mentions the need to protect radio communications from harmful interference, but no one is mentioning the question of possible interference with human health being addressed. It may not be a health problem but until that possibility is addressed it will remain a public health issue.
According to a report prepared by the U.S. National Association for Amateur Radio, (ARRL) because power lines are not designed to prevent RF energy transmissions BPL represents a significant interference source for all radio services using this frequency range.Overhead power lines and residential wiring act as antennas that unintentially radiate the broadband signals as short wave radio signals throughout entire neighborhoods [and homes] and along roadsides. Interference has been observed nearly one mile from the nearest BPL source.
(Note that Ross Adey was a former member of the ARRL Bioeffects Committee)
From the ARRL report:
An April 27, 2004 report released by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration in the US found that current FCC Part 15 measurement techniques may "significantly underestimate" peak BPL field strength and that "interference risks are high under existing FCC Part 15 rules.
Although BPL proponents dispute these claims of interference to licenced services, they have provided little in the way of calculations or measurements of BPL radiation levels - and what they have provided has been flawed by technical errors. Until now, BPL systems have been limited to small, little publicised test areas. Even so, the number of complaints of actual interference is growing steadily and efforts to resolve them have had limited success.
See the article at
http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/files/Barry.pdf for a tutorial section that explains several BPL technologies.
I use broadband over telephone lines, which requires a filter to block out interference with telephone reception. No problems with RF in my home. However I do not like the idea of shortwave RF being broadcast from my home wiring. RF filters installed at the service drop may be a solution but who would have to pay for the expense of purchasing and installing them? An interesting legal question.
Also see: http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/ for a wealth of information on Broadband Over Power Line (BPL)
Don Maisch
Broadband grid rules closer
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,12006811%5e16123%5e%5enbv%5e,00.html
Staff writers
JANUARY 21, 2005
THE communications regulator may soon seek public input on regulations for delivering broadband over powerlines. The Australian Communications Authority (ACA) said it planned issue a discussion paper on technology for delivering broadband over powerlines (BPL) in April.
However, an ACA spokesman said that the regulator wouldn't be able to put a firm time-line on the release of the final regulations until the discussion paper was released.
"The challenge for the ACA is to set regulatory arrangements that do not unnecessarily inhibit the adoption of BPL but at the same time protect radio communications from harmful interference," ACA acting chairman Bob Horton said.
The establishment of BPL standard could provide a cheap, alternative last-mile infrastructure for delivering broadband to household at speeds up to 20 Mbps. It could also give householder a simple method for interconnecting household devices.
Three electricity companies are conducting trials of the technology in Australia. Energy Australia and Country Energy are currently trialling the technology in Newcastle and Queanbeyan respectively, while Aurora Energy is testing BPL in Tasmania.
There are a lot of problems with this system, especially interference with other services but it is being actively promoted in Australia without acknowledging the problems, and ignoring others, such as possible health implications.
Now that there will soon be public submissions on this technology it is important that this issue gets some publicity in Australia. Simply, this technology may transform your home wiring into an antenna, your bedside lamp, electric blanket, etc etc all will be radiating an RF signal. This signal is of sufficient strength to cause interference with ham radio operators and this problem has caused some BPL trial systems in the US to be shut down.
The Australian Communications Authority (ACA) mentions the need to protect radio communications from harmful interference, but no one is mentioning the question of possible interference with human health being addressed. It may not be a health problem but until that possibility is addressed it will remain a public health issue.
According to a report prepared by the U.S. National Association for Amateur Radio, (ARRL) because power lines are not designed to prevent RF energy transmissions BPL represents a significant interference source for all radio services using this frequency range.Overhead power lines and residential wiring act as antennas that unintentially radiate the broadband signals as short wave radio signals throughout entire neighborhoods [and homes] and along roadsides. Interference has been observed nearly one mile from the nearest BPL source.
(Note that Ross Adey was a former member of the ARRL Bioeffects Committee)
From the ARRL report:
An April 27, 2004 report released by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration in the US found that current FCC Part 15 measurement techniques may "significantly underestimate" peak BPL field strength and that "interference risks are high under existing FCC Part 15 rules.
Although BPL proponents dispute these claims of interference to licenced services, they have provided little in the way of calculations or measurements of BPL radiation levels - and what they have provided has been flawed by technical errors. Until now, BPL systems have been limited to small, little publicised test areas. Even so, the number of complaints of actual interference is growing steadily and efforts to resolve them have had limited success.
See the article at
http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/files/Barry.pdf for a tutorial section that explains several BPL technologies.
I use broadband over telephone lines, which requires a filter to block out interference with telephone reception. No problems with RF in my home. However I do not like the idea of shortwave RF being broadcast from my home wiring. RF filters installed at the service drop may be a solution but who would have to pay for the expense of purchasing and installing them? An interesting legal question.
Also see: http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/ for a wealth of information on Broadband Over Power Line (BPL)
Don Maisch
Broadband grid rules closer
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,12006811%5e16123%5e%5enbv%5e,00.html
Staff writers
JANUARY 21, 2005
THE communications regulator may soon seek public input on regulations for delivering broadband over powerlines. The Australian Communications Authority (ACA) said it planned issue a discussion paper on technology for delivering broadband over powerlines (BPL) in April.
However, an ACA spokesman said that the regulator wouldn't be able to put a firm time-line on the release of the final regulations until the discussion paper was released.
"The challenge for the ACA is to set regulatory arrangements that do not unnecessarily inhibit the adoption of BPL but at the same time protect radio communications from harmful interference," ACA acting chairman Bob Horton said.
The establishment of BPL standard could provide a cheap, alternative last-mile infrastructure for delivering broadband to household at speeds up to 20 Mbps. It could also give householder a simple method for interconnecting household devices.
Three electricity companies are conducting trials of the technology in Australia. Energy Australia and Country Energy are currently trialling the technology in Newcastle and Queanbeyan respectively, while Aurora Energy is testing BPL in Tasmania.
Starmail - 25. Jan, 11:02
