MANHASSET, N.Y. — The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday (Oct. 14) to modified its rules to open the door to the widespread deployment of broadband access over power lines. The action is designed to both foster broadband penetration and increase competition while enhancing management of the national power grid.
As a result of the ruling, power utilities can now provide broadband to their customers, competing with traditional last-mile-access schemes such as DSL and cable as well as newer options such as meshed Wi-Fi networks and upcoming WiMax deployments. The facilities can also improve management through faster feedback and advanced power-grid management.
Providing broadband over power lines (BPL) is an attractive broadband scheme because power lines reach every home. In addition, the distribution of broadband to home would be simplified since users need only a single device plugged into a socket to obtain broadband access.
"We all know by now that our country is now number 11 in broadband penetration," said Commissioner Michael J. Copps in a statement following the issuance of the R&O. "That's pretty hard to take."
The FCC approved its report and order despite objections from licensed wireless users such as cellular and ham radio operators who consider BPL to be a serious contributor to interference. While the rules include specific steps to address concerns, including requiring rapid resolution of complaints and an adaptive approach to deployment, Copps remained wary. Copps the new rules "dodged the hardest BPL questions," that include universal service, disabilities access, E911, pole attachments, competition protections and "critically, how to handle the potential for cross-subsidization between regulated power businesses and unregulated communications businesses remain up in the air."
While BPL systems have been deployed and are undergoing testing, issues still remain about the best way to avoid interference with existing services. The abililty of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing to drop carriers and hence avoid certain bands makes it a promising technology.
Other issues include safely coupling broadband data from the medium-voltage distribution lines to the low-voltage lines to the home. Schemes to overcome this include hanging a wireless box off the utility pole to provide wireless access to multiple subscribers.
