Tuesday December 7, 1:44 pm ET - BPL
FCC Ruling Seen as Favorable to Broadband Over Powerlines
PROVIDENCE, R.I., Dec. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The October FCC ruling on broadband-over-power-line (BPL) technology effectively removes some uncertainties affecting utility investment in BPL. The FCC said its ruling was intended "to encourage the development of Access Broadband over Power Line (Access BPL) systems while safeguarding existing licensed services against harmful interference."
The ruling was the outcome of an investigation into possible interference from BPL networks on the signals of licensed radio services. The October 14 announcement said the FCC adopted changes to Part 15 to assure that BPL networks do not become a source of harmful interference, and listed several specific technical and administrative requirements for BPL equipment suppliers and network operators.
These requirements include the following capabilities: to measure the radio frequency (RF) energy emitted by BPL equipment, to avoid "excluded frequency bands," to limit frequency use in certain locations, to establish consultation with public-safety and other government radio operators, and to set up a public database for identifying and resolving interference.
According to David Shpigler, author of a recent market research report on BPL technology, there were no surprises among these requirements and no significant new burdens on prospective BPL operators.
He added that last month's ruling reassured utilities, BPL suppliers, and licensed radio operators, saying, "the FCC has provided clarity as to its position and further validation of the BPL concept. There is no black cloud here. The rule changes are consistent with the way BPL operators had been planning to proceed."
Shpigler also said that he sees continued momentum in the adoption of BPL technology for broadband access. "The number of trials and early deployments has been increasing steadily throughout 2004, and we are on track to finish with a strong second half and a positive outlook for steadily growing orders of BPL equipment in 2005," he added.
The Shpigler Group is a strategy management-consulting firm focused on the telecommunications and technology sector. The Shpigler Group works with utilities, municipalities, telecom service providers, and infrastructure and technology developers. For these clients, The Shpigler Group works to solve complex issues involving strategic assessment, market analysis, business case development, economic evaluation of network design, and competitive and partnership assessment. For more information about the firm, visit the company website at shpigler.com.
About KMI Research:
KMI Research is a research unit of PennWell Corporation. The company also sells reports written by other research companies that have expertise in selected areas. KMI has more than 25 years experience in telecommunications, fiberoptics, advanced materials, and related areas of high technology. PennWell Corporation is a diversified media and information company that has supplied publications and other services in energy-related fields for more than 90 years. The company currently provides magazines, trade shows, conferences, market data, and other services in industries such as oil and gas, power and energy, optoelectronics, communications, and others. For more information, KMI's website is kmiresearch.com.
CONTACT:
Richard Mack, KMI Research
401.243.8113
E-mail: rmack@kmiresearch.com
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