Re: [Swprograms] NY Times article on BPL
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Re: [Swprograms] NY Times article on BPL



I would think in already RF interference plauged New Jersey Rich, I can expect aan s20 niose level:).....with me listening mainly to shortwave and not to the internet, thats why I expect a lot of qrm.

Bill

----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Cuff" <richard@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Shortwave programming discussion" <swprograms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 1:25 PM
Subject: Re: [Swprograms] NY Times article on BPL



I suppose you're welcome to do so as long as there is indeed interference...

Here in the Lehigh Valley where PPL has a half-dozen trials underway the
closest trial is about 4 miles from home, with no apparent interference in
my (admittedly casual) shortwave listening regimen.

Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA

----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill" <ka2emz@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Shortwave programming discussion" <swprograms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 7:12 PM
Subject: Re: [Swprograms] NY Times article on BPL



When this *&^&*%(%%^+_ thing comes into my area I already deciding to
daily
call Jersey Central Power and Lighting daily with interference complaints.
Luckily they have a toll free number:)


Bill
KA2EMZ

----- Original Message ----- From: "Joel Rubin" <jmrubin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <swprograms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 5:53 AM
Subject: [Swprograms] NY Times article on BPL



> http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/28/technology/circuits/28howw.html > > The New York Times > October 28, 2004 > HOW IT WORKS > Plugging Into the Net, Through the Humble Wall Outlet > By TOM McNICHOL > > HIGH-speed Internet access usually comes to homes through one of two > wires: a telephone line for D.S.L. subscribers, or a coaxial cable for > cable modem users. But an emerging technology known as broadband over > power lines, or B.P.L., may soon offer a third wire into homes, > channeling high-speed data through a somewhat improbable conduit: an > ordinary electrical outlet. > > B.P.L. is the ultimate in plug-and-play. Users plug a small power line > modem into any wall outlet and then connect the modem to a computer > with a U.S.B. or Ethernet cable, or through a wireless Wi-Fi > connection. The appeal of B.P.L. is that most of the wiring for the > network is in place. Although data must be carefully routed over the > electric grid to prevent interference and signal degradation, there is > no need to dig up streets or rewire homes. > > Two weeks ago the Federal Communications Commission adopted rule > changes to encourage the technology in the hope of making broadband > more widely available and fostering greater competition among > high-speed Internet providers. > > Internet service over power lines is probably a year or more away from > becoming widely available, but the F.C.C.'s ruling is expected to spur > investment in B.P.L. by utilities. > > "Three or four years ago, the technology was not ready for prime time, > but now we know it is," said Jay Birnbaum, vice president and general > counsel for Current Communications of Germantown, Md., which makes > B.P.L. equipment. "And we've gotten the cost down, so it's competitive > with other broadband services." > > The idea of using electric power lines to send data is not new; > companies have been working on it for a decade. The major technical > challenge has been how to send bursts of radio frequency energy over > power lines without interfering with other radio signals, particularly > ham radio and public safety frequencies. > > The recent F.C.C. ruling establishes frequency bands that B.P.L. > signals must avoid to protect aeronautical and Coast Guard > communications, and sets up a publicly available database for > resolving claims of harmful interference from private radio operators. > > B.P.L. has been tested in small field trials for several years, > involving about 5,000 customers in 18 states. Cinergy, a power company > in the Midwest, recently began offering B.P.L. to homes in the > Cincinnati area for $30 to $50 a month, depending on connection speed. > The company says it hopes to have B.P.L. equipment in more than 50,000 > homes by the end of the year. > > Cinergy is also marketing B.P.L. to smaller municipal and cooperative > power companies, particularly in rural areas. > > "We felt those municipal and cooperative power companies are a > terrific market because many of those areas are underserved by D.S.L. > and cable," said Bill Grealis, a Cinergy executive vice president. > > Adding a data channel to the power lines also has potential benefits > for the utilities themselves. By reserving a sliver of the B.P.L. data > channel for themselves, power companies can use the network to > identify problems and accomplish troubleshooting remotely, rather than > sending out a crew. > > Down the road, utilities could install Internet-enabled meters and > switches to offer automated meter reading, power demand management and > time-of-day pricing. > > "Our main interest in B.P.L. is using it to better manage our > utility," said Bob Dobkin, a spokesman for Pepco, which is based in > Washington. Pepco has a pilot B.P.L. program in about 500 homes in > Potomac, Md. "It enables you to identify problems without having to > send someone out." > > While B.P.L. holds promise, there are unanswered questions about the > technology. One F.C.C. commissioner, Michael J. Copps, dissented in > part with the commission's recent action, saying the agency had failed > to address issues such as whether electricity customers pay higher > monthly bills to subsidize their utility's foray into broadband. > > "We're great on technology, but not so good on working out the rules > of the road," Mr. Copps said. "Nearly all of the industrialized > nations except the U.S. have national plans for broadband. We don't > have any comprehensive strategy." > > Mr. Copps and others note that the United States has lately become a > broadband laggard; it ranks 13th in the world in broadband > penetration, behind countries such as Japan, Korea, Denmark and > Iceland. Many believe one main reason is cost. While Americans > typically pay $40 to $50 monthly for a D.S.L. or cable modem > connection, the Japanese, for example, pay $10 to $15 a month for even > faster connections. > > American broadband consumers, in short, get less bit for the buck. > > Will B.P.L. bring down the cost of broadband? > > Mr. Grealis of Cinergy will say only that the cost of a B.P.L. > connection will be competitive with D.S.L., cable and wireless. It > remains to be seen whether the third wire into the home turns out to > be a cheaper alternative or more like the third gas station on a > corner, battling the competition at remarkably similar prices. > > > > _______________________________________________ > Swprograms mailing list > Swprograms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > http://dallas.hard-core-dx.com/mailman/listinfo/swprograms > > To unsubscribe: Send an E-mail to > swprograms-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe, or visit the
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