BPL Broadband over Powerlines Jory McIntosh, KJ5RM ARRL Assistant Section Manager BPL Interference and FCC Regulations

Who am I?  ARRL (American Radio Relay League) Assistant Section Manger for North Texas  Ham Operator for 13 Years, in radio for 15 years.  Computer and Network programmer by trade.

Does it interfere?  Power lines are made of long unshielded wires.  BPL is a Radio Frequency signal.  When you load a RF signal on wires it resonates.  BPL operates from 2 through 80 Mhz  Does it Interfere? Big Time!

Irving, TX Results from test In Irving using Yaesu FT-100, Full DSP, 2.4 Khz Filter ATAS-100 Antenna, 150 feet from BPL Unit. FreqControlBPL 7.208S3S S1S S3S S1S S0S S1S S0S9

Irving Recordings Before the BPL was installed: Mhz After BPL was installed: How about ¼ mile away? 17 meters…. That was with a very inefficient antenna!

Burnet, TX Results from test In Irving using Icom IC-706, ICOM Ah-4 antenna tuner, 11 foot whip FreqControlBPL 7.200S7S S6S S6S S4S S4S60+

Interference to BPL?  In Irving a 50 watt transmitter 100 foot from the system shut it down for the duration of transmission + 5 seconds  Reports from the PUC test in North Carolina found similar results.  Any HF transmitter within 100 foot can affect the data passed on this system.

Notching  What is notching? Intermodulational Distortion (Intermod).  Cottonwood, AZ found notching ineffective due to Intermod issue  Omaha, NB found notching ineffective

FCC Regulations  Part 15.5B Operation of an intentional, unintentional, or incidental radiator is subject that no harmful interference is caused and that interference must be accepted that my be caused by authorized radio station, another intentional or unintentional radiator, by industrial, scientific, and Medical equipment, or by an incidental radiator.

FCC Regulations  Part 15.5C The operator of a radio frequency device shall be required to cease operating the device upon notification by a Commission representative that the devise is causing harmful interference.

FCC Regulations on Harmful Interference  Part 97.3(23) Harmful interference. Interference which endangers the functioning of a radionavigation server or of other safety services or seriously degrades obstructs or repeatedly interrupts a radiocommunication service operating in accordance with Radio Regulations.

Alternatives  WiMax – – 268 Mbs!  B/G/A Up to 108Mbs!  Cellular – 3 Mbs +  DSL and Cable 3 to 5 Mbs  Fiber – 100Mb+ Video+Phone No Interference and complies with part 15!!!

You can’t change the Laws of Physics Jim!  RF injection on a power line will and does resonate.  Powerlines become antenna and pickup signals that can and do cause BPL system to malfunction.  Notching hasn’t work due to Intermodulation issues.  FCC Regulations forbid harmful interference  BPL at Irving and Burnet violates part 15.5b  There are alternatives that don’t have these issues at similar prices!  Don’t waste $300,000 tax dollars on flawed technology!

Links and Questions….  GoBPL –  ARRL BPL Page –  WiMax –