By David Coursey

Executive Editor, AnchorDesk

Friday, Feb. 27, 2004

Since last we visited the issue of transmitting the Internet over power lines (the big electric company kind, not the wires in your walls), the Federal Communications Commission, lapdog to the monied interests, has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), the second step in making broadband over power lines (BPL) a reality.

In a rare moment of governmental clarity, an NPRM is precisely what it seems to be: Advance notice of how the FCC is going to give zillionaires what they want at the expense of us ordinary folks. The NPRM follows a Notice of Inquiry that was issued last April and generated more than 5,000 comments, many from angry ham radio operators.

HERE'S THE DEAL: BPL is a technology that uses radio waves, transmitted over power lines, to provide broadband Internet or other data connectivity. The problem with BPL is simple physics: Radio waves like to fly off into space. When they do, interference results. In order to get broadband speeds, BPL uses a large number of frequencies, some of which are capable of traveling literally around the world even on the small transmitter power that BPL systems use.

BPL would operate as an unlicensed radio service under Part 15 of the FCC's rules. This is the same section that allows most of the unlicensed devices used in home and business. All of these devices are supposed to operate in such a way that they don't interfere with licensed radio services.