BPL and th FCC Enforcement Bureau

[Andre Kesteloot]

RADIO LAW:  BPL NOW RESPONSIBILITY OF ENFORCEMENT BUREAU AT FCC

 CQ Magazine says it has learned that responsibility 
for acting on interference complaints regarding Broadband over Power Lines 
has been transferred from the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology to 
>the Commission's Enforcement Bureau.  According to the C-Q website story, 
>there have been repeated complaints of interference to hams and other 
>licensed HF radio users by certain BPL systems but FCC response so far has 
>been negligible. It is expected that transferring this responsibility to 
>the Enforcement Bureau will result in stronger FCC action against those 
>systems causing interference.

>CQ also says that that BPL appears to be losing some of its luster among 
>FCC commissioners.  What was once described by former Commissioner Kathleen 
>Abernathy as "broadband nirvana" was virtually ignored by Commissioner 
>Jonathan Adelstein in a speech before the National Spectrum Managers' 
>Association in mid-May.  Adelstein told the group that the so-called third 
>channel for broadband access, in addition to cable internet and telephone 
>DSL service -- once touted to be BPL -- is likely to be wide area wireless 
>networks now being deployed in various communities around the country.

>Meantime, a bill containing a provision requiring the FCC to conduct a 
>study of BPL's interference potential has been passed by the House of 
>Representatives and was awaiting Senate action as we go to air.  The 
>amendment to the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act 
>of 2006 in House Resolution 5252 was proposed by Arkansas Representative 
>Mike Ross, WD5DVR, one of two hams currently in Congress.  The ARRL is 
>urging members living in states represented by members of the Senate 
>Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee to contact their senators to 
>urge support for a similar amendment to the Senate version of the bill, 
>which the ARRL Letter reports passed the House over the strong objections 
>of the BPL industry.  (CQ website)