The myth that BPL is a solution for rural broadband
 

In article , "Phil Kane"
writes:

On 20 Jul 2003 08:43:52 -0700, Rob Kemp wrote:

DSL can work out to about ~ 16,000 feet from the central office. BPL
can only go 2,000 feet from the BPL equivalent of a DSLAM, then BPL
needs an expensive repeater installed by a linesman trained to work
with 11,000 volt cables.

All utility repair maintainers ("linesmen") must be trained and
qualified to work with primary voltages (11,000 V in your example).
There are special tools ("hot sticks") which they use daily to work
such open lines live, and they have no hesitation to pull the fuses
and work them "cold" if need be. Even after they pull the fuses and
ground the lines, they still use the "hot sticks" which are designed
specifically for the hardware in use.

Transmission voltages (34 KV and up) are something else. Those are
never worked hot.

No? Never? Not even in metal mesh suits, suspended from a
helicopter?

Gosh, I'd better write the IEEE SPECTRUM real quick...a few years ago
they had a big article with photos on how those MHV lines ARE
worked hot.

Thanks for the heads up.

(As the Portland General Electric channel on my scanner chatters in
the background.)

But you are 100% on point as to what is needed and what the
utilities are liable to do.

Bzzp, bzzp...

It's very simple - BPL is NOT for rural areas. If you were trying to
make a buck with this new technology would you deploy it out in the
rural areas, or right on every street in America? Right on every
street there are dozens of the real customers, with bucks ready to
spend - the AOL dial-up users !!! Every single one of the 25 million
AOL customers is ripe for BPL.
So if the FCC is serious the solution is simple - make rules so it can
only be deployed out in the rural areas, and you will see BPL
disappear faster than your money at a craps table.
I wish I had thought of this before I made my comments to the FCC.

Rick K2XT