"AK" wrote in message
news:_RIxc.24979$Sw.12360@attbi_s51...

"Frank Dresser" wrote in message
...

Stopping BPL is simple. It's a political numbers game. Unfortunately,
there's more potential customers for high speed internet access than
there
are SW hobbyists. I'm sure you've noticed that no Democrat is taking an
anti-BPL stance. BPL has already been approved in a couple of areas.

Or, just maybe, the politicans expect BPL to fail or succeed on it's own
merits. If it fails on it's own, then nobody gets the blame for keeping
it
away from the customers.

I see, Frank. You are just a might-&-money makes right sort of guy.

Well, as scurrilous libel goes, that's a step up from toxic waste dumper,
but you've missed the mark again. I was making a democracy arguement. The
voters who want high speed access vastly outnumber the voters who are radio
hobbyists. If BPL can actually deliver on it's big promises, radio
hobbyists will have slim clout in Washington. Being a radio hobbyist isn't
a God given right, or a natural right, or even a constitutional right.

But I think there's more to the democratic free choice arguement. What if
BPL is really a goofy idea which won't work? What's the gain for any
politician to block a popular, yet doomed approach? His opponent will grab
the the glittering promises that the BPL folk are making, and use those
promises to take votes from the "anti-BPL choice" candidate. Don't think
the voters really know the difference.

I see two possible scenerios:

1) BPL works as promised. It delivers high speed internet access to
millions of users at a competitive price. Since cable, DSL, microwave and
sattelite providers also have to compete with the BPL providers, every user
of high speed access benefits from BPL. Thousands of radio hobbyists lose.
Neither the Democrats nor Republicans choose the thousands of hobbyists over
the millions of internet users.

2) BPL flops. It can't provide adequate bandwidth for more than a small
number of users. The small number of users can't make up the costs of the
system and BPL goes the way of the personal jet pack. Politicians who might
have opposed "system choice" before it proved itself unworkable come out
smelling like a rose.


Maybe if
the FCC will just authorize all U.S. hams to run 10KW on MF and HF
frequencies, and give us full immunity to any interference claims, amateur
radio can co-exist with BPL.

ak



Hmmm. Do you think radio amateurs have enough friends in Washington to get
anything like that? Or maybe, if amateur radio interferes with a BPL system
which benefits millions, the FCC will restrict amateur radio to protect BPL?

But, if you're convinced BPL is workable and won't flop, let me suggest you
join the dark side and invest in BPL. Dump your entire networth into BPL.
Borrow more and toss that in too! Rewards go to those the bold who see the
truth, while timid fellows such as myself stand on the sidelines. Thanks to
your clear foresight, you'll soon be able to buy all the accouterments of
capitalism. Buy a diamond handle cane. Buy that Top Hat you've always
wanted. Buy a hand-made Isotta-Fraschini touring car with leopard skin
upholstery and gold plated hardware. Don't forget to buy a chauffeur!!
You'll forget about SW in no time!

http://www.prospectstreet.com/portfolio_listing.htm

Oh wait. Manassas dumped Prospect Street. Seems like they could only get
200 workable BPL connections in 6 months.

Nevermind.

Frank Dresser