FCC begins broadband inquiry

As part of its effort to promote spectrum flexibility and access to broadband services, and to encourage multiple platforms for broadband, the FCC issued a Notice of Inquiry seeking comment on using existing electrical power lines to provide Internet and broadband services to homes and offices.

Broadband over Power Line — as its dubbed — can provide consumers with the freedom to access broadband services from any room in the house without adding or paying for additional connections by simply plugging a BPL device into an existing electrical outlet. BPL may be able to provide an additional means for “last-mile” delivery of broadband services and may offer a competitive alternative to digital subscriber line and cable modem services.

The inquiry addresses the two types of BPL: Access and In-House. Access BPL uses medium voltage power lines to bring Internet and other broadband applications to homes and offices. In-House BPL uses existing electric utility wiring to network computers and printers, as well as smart appliances, within a building. The commission noted that rules for unlicensed carrier current systems, which couple radio frequency energy to the alternating current electrical wiring for the purpose of communications have been successful.

However, these carrier current systems have operated with relatively limited communications capability on frequencies below 2 MHz, over a narrow bandwidth.

The availability of faster chip sets and the development of sophisticated modulation techniques have produced new digital power line designs that use multiple carriers, spread over a wide frequency range and are capable of high data rates.

The commission, in this inquiry, seeks information, comment, and technical data on issues concerning Broadband over Power Line, specifically:

• The current state of high speed BPL technology
• The potential interference effects, if any, on authorized spectrum users
• Test results from BPL experimental sites
• The appropriate measurement procedure for testing emission characteristics for all types of carrier current systems
• Changes that may be needed in Part 15 technical rules and the equipment approval process to foster the development of BPL and to ensure that interference is not caused to other services as a result of this technology.”