A new tool to help hams evaluate the impact of Broadband over
Powerline has just been made available on the Internet by an
Australian radio amateur. It`s based on the work of a European
consortium that is trying to set a world standard for BPL radiation
limits. Owen Duffy, VK1OD, is the ham who made it happen:

Current BPL technology works by conduction of signals in the radio
frequency spectrum up to about 100 MHz. Existing power lines
networks are not ideal RF transmission networks, they will radiate
radio frequency energy causing interference to radio communications
services, and they will be susceptible to interference from nearby
transmitters --- radio or otherwise.

The European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization,
CENELEC, are developing a standard for ``Electromagnetic emissions
from access powerline communications networks.`` Access powerline
communications networks are commonly termed Broadband over Power
Lines or BPL.

The proposed CENELEC standard does not automatically apply globally,
though countries like Australia draw heavily on international
standards, such as CENELEC`s for their own jurisdiction.

This proposed standard would set limits for the conducted energy and
radiated energy of BPL systems. The radiation limit is specified for
example as a field strength in dBuA/m in a measurement bandwidth at a
specified distance on particular frequency, and its impact will not
be immediately apparent to most radio users.

Do you know what the impact of +4dBuA/m in 9 KHz at 3m is on your
receiver?

The BPL Interference Evaluation Tool allows evaluation of the impact
of BPL interference under the proposed CENELEC standard given a set
of location/application specific parameters. Go to the BPL
Interference Evaluation Tool at http://www.vk1od.net/bpl and
enter the details for your site and discover the impact. (WIA News
via ARNewsline(tm) October 22 via John Norfolk, dxldyg)

FCC RULE CHANGES TO PROMOTE BROADBAND

Here in the United States, very little attention appears to have been
paid to two other FCC actions amid last weeks FCC decision on BPL.
But both are designed to help promote different forms of broadband
Internet access. This is important because they will be giving
Broadband Over Powerline a run for the corporate dollar profit.
Amateur Radio Newsline`s Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has mo

In another vote taken at their October 14th meeting, the FCC loosened
restrictions on fiber-optic networks built by local phone companies,
encouraging them to make greater investments in so-called fiber-to-
the-curb`` and fiber-to-the-home networks. According to the
Commission, and as reported in a bulletin from CQ, the ruling will
encourage deployment of fiber optic broadband networks capable of
delivering advanced data, video and voice service by local
telephone companies.

Prompted by the decision, several big telephone companies said they
would move more rapidly to build fiber networks to homes. SBC says it
now plans to provide 18 million households higher speed Internet
services in two to three years, rather than five years as previously
announced. So far, Verizon Communications has been the most active
in building residential fiber networks.

And there is more. The day after the BPL vote was taken, the FCC`s
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau announced a joint effort with the
U.S. Department of Agriculture`s Rural Utilities Service. This, to
advance the deployment of broadband wireless telecommunications
across rural America.

It`s called the Rural Wireless Community VISION Program. Its purpose
is to bring experts from both agencies into rural communities
selected as models to help provide technical, financial and other
assistance in launching wireless broadband services in those areas.

All of this adds up to a lot of competition for BPL from the day it
gets going.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I`m Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los
Angeles.

As we go to air, it is unclear whether either of these actions are
efforts to promote multiple types of broadband, or, possibly a no
confidence vote in the long-term potential of BPL.

More information on the program is available online at
http://wireless.fcc.gov/outreach/ruralvision/index.html. (CQ)

(dxld)