Manassas, Virginia was the first US city to see a real, non-trial launch of broadband over powerline (BPL) technology. However, BPL has floundered the last few years because of its inherent potential for interference with amateur and emergency radio, its irrelevance in the face of next-generation speeds, and the unavoidable fact that many utilities simply didn't want to be broadband providers.

After buying the flailing network from companies who once heralded it as proof BPL was a major broadband player, the city has spent a total of $1.6 million on it, and pour in an additional $100,000 or so every month. With city residents lured away by faster alternatives, leaders have had the network on life support for months, and are still debating over whether to pull the plug:It's unfortunate for Manassas, which was hailed by BPL hardware vendors and former FCC boss Michael Powell as the pinnacle of broadband achievement just five years ago. Those companies (like Comtek, who took at adversarial role against those worried about interference) have since moved on to pitch their hardware to energy utilities as part of smart energy networking solutions. Powell, who once called BPL the "great broadband hope," has since moved on to a life of highly paid work at telecom think tanks. The city however still sits struggling with a technology and cash-guzzling network that's become entirely irrelevant.

The relationship between the FCC and ham operators has always been a contentious one, due to BPL's interference potential and the FCC's rather, uh, over-enthusiastic promotion of the flawed technology. As part of an effort to pretend their pro-incumbent policies resulted in something more than an uncompetitive duopoly, the agency used to call BPL the "great broadband hope." Hams have always alleged that the agency ignored interference data for the benefit of the BPL industry.

Last fall, as it appeared that broadband over powerline (BPL) technology was going to die off completely, IBM announced a new partnership with a small outfit called International Broadband Electric Communications, aimed at exploring the use of BPL in rural markets. The announcement came just as two of BPL's highest profile deployments fizzled, and many BPL hardware vendors begin focusing their attention on smart electrical networks instead of broadband delivery.

Manassas, Virginia was the first US city to see a real, non-trial launch of broadband over powerline (BPL) technology. However, BPL has floundered the last few years because of its inherent potential for interference with amateur and emergency radio, its irrelevance in the face of next-generation speeds, and the unavoidable fact that many utilities simply didn't want to be broadband providers.

Because of interference concerns and other limitations, broadband over powerline (BPL) all but died last year as a serious player in the broadband industry, with only five thousand or so users connected with the technology despite nearly a decade of hype from BPL vendors. Still, IBM recently decided to partner with a small newcomer called International Broadband Electric Communications (IBEC) to explore using BPL in rural markets, and says they could reach 200,000 customers. The $9.6 million partnership involves deploying BPL networks through seven electric cooperatives in Virginia, Michigan, Alabama and Indiana -- with IBEC acting as the ISP. Some of the deployments are thanks to rural grants provided by the Department of Agriculture, so IBM has been making the rounds of late to suggest they should be one of the prime beneficiaries of any new funds.

Just when all signs seemed to have indicated that 2008 was the year broadband over powerline technology was going to die off, the Associated Press says that IBM Iis partnering with a small newcomer called International Broadband Electric Communications to explore using BPL in rural markets. The move comes just as two of BPL's highest profile deployments fizzled, and many BPL hardware vendors begin focusing their attention on smart electrical networks instead of broadband delivery.

Earlier this week we lamented the passing of broadband over power line (BPL), after a second high profile deployment of the technology appeared to be on the rocks. Both Techdirt and Ars Technica link to our piece and offer up BPL postmortems of their own. While interference and utilities who didn't want to get into the business played a role in BPL's passing, Ars notes that the rise of next-gen FiOS and U-Verse deployments also played a role. "Let's not mourn BPL's passing too much," says Glenn Fleishman. "It was never even an also-ran technology, because it didn't run much."

Manassas, Virginia was the first US city to see a real, non-trial launch of broadband over powerline (BPL) technology. However, BPL has floundered the last few years because of its inherent potential for interference with amateur and emergency radio, its irrelevance in the face of next-generation speeds, and the unavoidable fact that many utilities simply didn't want to be broadband providers.

I mentioned the other day that broadband over powerlines (BPL) had suffered a serious death blow after a court slapped the FCC's wrist for acting as a cheerleader for the BPL industry -- while ignoring serious problems inherent in the technology. The industry was also hit hard by the sale of a large BPL deployment in Dallas, on which the Associated Press has more.

While the FCC once called broadband over power lines (BPL) the "great broadband hope," the technology has been stuck in neutral, thanks largely to its tendency to interfere with local wireless transmissions, and the fact that many utilities don't want to get into the broadband business. Things have only gotten worse for the struggling sector the last two weeks.

The ARRL has spent nearly a year battling the FCC regarding its failure to follow guidelines regarding BPL interference. The U.S.

DirecTV and Current Communications have started offering broadband over powerline (BPL) connectivity to some 130,000 homes in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

At the end of 2005, the city of Princeton in Illinois began testing out a municipal wireless system based on BPL technology. The rollout has been successful and the city announced that they will be completing the project by the end of this month with rollout to the final quadrant of the city which had not yet been served. One of the biggest concerns at the start of this project was that BPL technology would interfere with local radio signals. However, there have been no reports of interference since the project began. Approximately 100 residential customers have subscribed to the BPL Internet option in the area so far.

Broadband over power lines hasn’t seen much success in the United States due to the variety of problems associated with it. However, BPL companies are banking on the fact that a new spin on an old story could put them back in the game. Their new angle is to get on the “green” bandwagon and demonstrate how using BPL can manage electricity demand. Rather than pushing for BPL to the home, they’re working to provide cities with smart grid technologies that allow electric utilities to better monitor – and respond to – activity on their grids. BPL Global, Current Communications and Telkonet are three examples of BPL companies that have specifically made the switch to this new focus.

Tasmanian energy supplier Aurora Energy was boasting about the amazing powers of BPL back in March but rather quietly scrapped the $2 million trial at the end of last month. Much of the opposition to the trial came from the Radio and Electronics Association of Southern Tasmania which details that opposition here.

Amateur ham operators and the FCC aren't particularly good friends when it comes to broadband over powerline (BPL) technology. The FCC continually insists the niche technology is the next great broadband hope, while hams and engineers note that there's incredible potential for interference with ham and emergency radio.

Broadband over powerlines has so far been a dud in the United States. A major reason for that has been the technology's interference potential.

The Information Systems Technology group, part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Research and Technology Organization, has released a new report (pdf) on the negative impact of broadband over powerlines (BPL) on amateur and emergency radio operations.

Given that existing powerlines were not designed with such transmissions in mind, the group notes that such networks "will cause unintentional RF emissions which may adversely affect the established radio noise floor directly, or by cumulative propagation from many such sources."

The ARRL's Ed Hare says the report "pretty much echoes the ARRL's pleadings during the BPL rulemaking." The ARRL and the FCC have been at odds over the severity of interference caused by the technology.

As they had hinted at previously, DirecTV says they'll be dipping their toe into the broadband over powerline (BPL) business. Starting at the end of this year or early next year, the company will begin selling a satellite TV, BPL and VoIP bundle in conjunction with Current Communications in the Dallas area.

While FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell this week was busy telling the public there is no broadband problem, Commissioner Adelstein was testifying before Congress saying that there is. Adelstein pushed for a national broadband strategy, and then took the position that greater investment was needed in broadband over powerline technology, which once again annoyed ham operators:Broadband over powerline is a niche technology that has simply failed to materialize for a number of reasons, including its potential for interference and the fact that many utilities aren't sold on getting into the broadband business. The FCC clings to it as a third pipe dream despite the fact it seems perpetually stuck in neutral.