BPL (Broadband over powerlines) is a terrible technology that we must stop at all costs. Yes the idea of using powerlines (which are everywhere) to carry internet sound interesting. The truth is power lines were not designed to carry radio frequency energy that is required to offer BPL. Powerlines radiate this energy. So what is the problem you ask? The RF energy is for BPL is between 3 and 80 MHz. This spectrum is occupied by various LICENSED services. The most common are shortwave broadcasters and amateur radio. While these services may not be important to you they are for some people. Why should these people have to give up using these services just so someone else can have another access point to the internet? In every case where BPL is being tested there are other technologies in the same area to provide this service (Cable or DSL). In both cases cable and DSL provide internet service without interfering with
another non-related service.
By the way BPL is not just a simple plug it into the powerline and you have internet. A lot of modifications have to be made to the power grid to make it work. Just like it takes a lot of modifications to the telephone system for DSL.
Any way you cut it BPL does not make any sense. There are better ways to equip the masses with internet access.
REMEMBER: JUST SAY NO TO BPL
This is the latest from Amateur Radio Newsline:
THE BPL FIGHT: SHORTWAVE VS. DIGITAL SHORTWAVE
Amateur Radio has another friend in its fight to stop the world-wide rollout of Broadband over Powerline technology. This, as a European short-wave broadcaster say that B-P-L and digital radio will have a lot of trouble co-existing. Fred Vobbe, W8HDU, is here with an update on digital radio and an explanation of why the two do not mix.
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Jacob Freedman, N2MPN, found an interesting story on BBC News Online and thought he would share this news with A.R. Newsline listeners. In the link to the story, titled "Fears for new digital radio system" written by By Chris McWhinnie of BBC Monitoring in Amsterdam, the warning came from Peter Senger, the chair of the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) at the International Broadcasting Convention in Amsterdam.
DRM is a standard agreed by world broadcasters for a completely new short! wave radio system. The new internet power line distribution system has been evaluated by engineers, including the BBC, and has been found to affect short wave in particular.
Short wave is mainly used to broadcast internationally and the AM bands have been used since radio first started in the 1920s. The DRM system uses existing AM broadcast frequencies to deliver near-FM quality digital sound. It uses compression to squeeze clear digital sound into
the narrow radio channels that currently carry crackly analogue signals. The DRM technology has the potential to make digital radio available in places that Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) radio or even FM will probably never reach. As for the hardware required to hear these
stations, there will be a new consumer DRM radio in the shops by Christmas 2005 and a tiny PC-only DRM set is already on sale.
DRM is not being used by many radio statio! ns yet. However a number of radio stations have seen the potential for new cross-border radio stations.
A Germany-based music station is believed to be in the planning stages. BBC World Service and its counterparts abroad already have some regular DRM programmes and are backing the system.
DRM is being seriously considered in many countries where the FM radio band is full. China sees DRM as the answer to pushing digital radio across its vast territory.
The UK is not planning to use DRM for domestic radio. The UK has pinned its digital hopes instead on DAB, which offers stations like BBC 1Xtra, 6 Music, Oneword and Core. More digital radios have been sold in the UK than any other country.
Switching-off analogue FM and AM may take years and making millions of much-loved analogue radio sets useless will no doubt be controversial. If power line internet transmission is introduced, then international broadcasting on shortwave may also be consigned to history due to the ! interference from data travelling over mains electricity cables.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Fred Vobbe, W8HDU
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As we go to air, the proponents of Broadband Over Powerline have not yet challenged the Digital Radio Mondiale findings. (W8HDU, N2MPN)
another non-related service.
By the way BPL is not just a simple plug it into the powerline and you have internet. A lot of modifications have to be made to the power grid to make it work. Just like it takes a lot of modifications to the telephone system for DSL.
Any way you cut it BPL does not make any sense. There are better ways to equip the masses with internet access.
REMEMBER: JUST SAY NO TO BPL
This is the latest from Amateur Radio Newsline:
THE BPL FIGHT: SHORTWAVE VS. DIGITAL SHORTWAVE
Amateur Radio has another friend in its fight to stop the world-wide rollout of Broadband over Powerline technology. This, as a European short-wave broadcaster say that B-P-L and digital radio will have a lot of trouble co-existing. Fred Vobbe, W8HDU, is here with an update on digital radio and an explanation of why the two do not mix.
--
Jacob Freedman, N2MPN, found an interesting story on BBC News Online and thought he would share this news with A.R. Newsline listeners. In the link to the story, titled "Fears for new digital radio system" written by By Chris McWhinnie of BBC Monitoring in Amsterdam, the warning came from Peter Senger, the chair of the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) at the International Broadcasting Convention in Amsterdam.
DRM is a standard agreed by world broadcasters for a completely new short! wave radio system. The new internet power line distribution system has been evaluated by engineers, including the BBC, and has been found to affect short wave in particular.
Short wave is mainly used to broadcast internationally and the AM bands have been used since radio first started in the 1920s. The DRM system uses existing AM broadcast frequencies to deliver near-FM quality digital sound. It uses compression to squeeze clear digital sound into
the narrow radio channels that currently carry crackly analogue signals. The DRM technology has the potential to make digital radio available in places that Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) radio or even FM will probably never reach. As for the hardware required to hear these
stations, there will be a new consumer DRM radio in the shops by Christmas 2005 and a tiny PC-only DRM set is already on sale.
DRM is not being used by many radio statio! ns yet. However a number of radio stations have seen the potential for new cross-border radio stations.
A Germany-based music station is believed to be in the planning stages. BBC World Service and its counterparts abroad already have some regular DRM programmes and are backing the system.
DRM is being seriously considered in many countries where the FM radio band is full. China sees DRM as the answer to pushing digital radio across its vast territory.
The UK is not planning to use DRM for domestic radio. The UK has pinned its digital hopes instead on DAB, which offers stations like BBC 1Xtra, 6 Music, Oneword and Core. More digital radios have been sold in the UK than any other country.
Switching-off analogue FM and AM may take years and making millions of much-loved analogue radio sets useless will no doubt be controversial. If power line internet transmission is introduced, then international broadcasting on shortwave may also be consigned to history due to the ! interference from data travelling over mains electricity cables.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Fred Vobbe, W8HDU
--
As we go to air, the proponents of Broadband Over Powerline have not yet challenged the Digital Radio Mondiale findings. (W8HDU, N2MPN)
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