With Varying Frequency - Amateur Radio Ponderings

The ARRL’s contention that the FCC was in violation putting BPL interests ahead of Licensees (including Amateur Radio) was support by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in a landmark decision.

From the ARRL Press Release:

Court Finds FCC Violated Administrative Procedure Act in BPL Decision (Apr 25, 2008 ) — The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit today released its decision on the ARRL’s Petition for Review of the FCC’s Orders adopting rules governing broadband over power line (BPL) systems. The Court said, “We grant the [ARRL's] petition in part and remand the rule to the Commission. The Commission failed to satisfy the notice and comment requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act (”APA“) by redacting studies on which it relied in promulgating the rule and failed to provide a reasoned explanation for its choice of the extrapolation factor for measuring Access BPL emissions.”

The decision of 38 pages of legalese can be found at:  http://pacer.cadc.uscourts.gov/common/opinions/200804/06-1343-1112979.pdf

Expect a “plain language” summary in the next few days from the ARRL.  EDIT - Here is the full ARRL Write-Up:  http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/04/25/10064/

Well done to the league as the interests of licensed Radio Amateurs everywhere have been solidly reaffirmed.

73

Steve

Check out the ARRL Editorial “It Seems to Us: Imaginary Numbers” where David Sumner, K1ZZ carefully exposes how the BPL industry has used tiered-research to create phantom customers where none existed.

Tiered-Research is where research firms cite other research firm’s statistics without qualification, expressly because the statistics happen to conveniently support their research’s premisses.

In other words they skip doing primary research, skip doing the vetting of secondary research one would expect, and quote whatever they like, just as long as it supports their cause.

David K1ZZ points out how the the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the BPL industry are purposely using tiered research to present inflated and bogus BPL user statistics.

Put more simply they are reporting falsehoods. Whether those lies are intentional or slovenly flawed research is open to conjecture, but remember the NTIA exists only to do reporting like this and should be presumed as technically equipped to do, or at least recognize, proper research.

These bigger than life claims misstating reality occur throughout the BPL industry.

Lets look at the Washington Island (WI-001L) deployment.

The BPL Company Website Claims Deployment & Conditional RUS Approval.

Here is their map:

click on the graphic for a larger version

Yet here is screen shot taken within minutes on the official RUS website:

click on the graphic for a larger version

Something doesn’t jive.

Rumble on the Island is the Coop may have installed gear to run a small test area of BPL, but I can’t find any mention of it anywhere, can’t find anyone who has seen it run, nor can I find anyone who knows someone who has seen it run.

The BPL signup on the website is disabled, though they do have rates now posted:

click on the graphic for a larger version

These rates seem very pricey at first blush, but when one remembers the limited alternatives perhaps a business might pay $3,000 a year (remember there are taxes in addition) for 1/2 of DSL throughput?

The basic offering is so slow as to beg whether it can even be called broadband? This is the same rate as a pair to multiplexed ISDN lines, an option my business successfully used for a number of years in the “old days.”

Phantom user counts from bad research, and phantom deployments & claims of RUS approval……..

Perhaps these are all errors & mistakes. Or perhaps the technology is the error & mistake.

It is up to you to decide.

73

Steve

While up on Washington Island, Wisconsin WI-001L, the buzz was a THIRD high-speed Internet option would soon be run in part of the town.

Earlier this year DCWIS (a private firm) completed Island coverage with their Motorola Canopy System.  Word is that this system has been very Ham-Friendly and has been adding customers weekly. 

Verizon rather quietly appeared to have enabled the high-speed Internet feature on their cellular phone service.  At least people have been seen using it!

Now after several years of “next month it will be running” the Island Electrical Co-op is preparing a demonstration run of a very limited BPL installation.  FCC permits for the gear have been secured by IBEC and some net connectivity has been arranged with Verizon. 

Is this an example of too little (bandwidth) too late?  The BPL speeds of 256kb is horribly slow by current high-speed standards.

There is all sorts of scuttlebutt about wonky numbers and infinitely long payback periods circulating about the Co-ops BPL.  Given the size of the investment and the RF potential impact it has been amazing that the Co-op has not consulted its shareholders along the way.

Then to be a late third into a small market with the highest infrastructure costs and lowest performance makes the economics look poor.

In general is BPL doomed?  There are plenty that say that between its technological limitations, RF pollution potential and weak bandwidth performance, that BPL is yesterday’s technology.

Bob K0NR’s “Slow Death for Broadband Over Power Line (BPL)” is an excellent read on the dwindling economics surrounding BPL.

We’ll have to see what happens on Washington Island.  The Island DX Club (WI9DX) and independent amateurs are concerned but of course cooperative provided they are not adversely affected. 

Time will tell.

73

Steve
K9ZW