BPL Lives On, Again
from the 9-lives dept
Broadband over powerline has gotten lots and lots of attention and investment over the past decade or so, but remains little more than a black hole of hype. Every once in a while, a story comes along to remind us that despite its near-total lack of traction, BPL abides. Now it could apparently be in line to get some money from the economic stimulus bill. We've been skeptical of any broadband stimulus, in large part because it looked more like handouts to incumbents than anything meaningful. But putting more money towards BPL, given its market failure and lack of progress, would be shambolic.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Filed Under: bpl, broadband, broadband over powerlines, stimulus
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Shambolic??
adj. Chiefly British Slang
Disorderly or chaotic: "[The country's] transportation system is in a shambolic state" (London Sunday Times).
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/shambolic
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Does BPL make sense for rural broadband?
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Re: Does BPL make sense for rural broadband?
No.
"The Sticks" has the worst power infrastructure around. You need excessively clean power signals to deliver bandwidth over those lines. Which means the only place it actually works is in brand spankin new build-outs in dense population zones. ie: the only place it works is where its least needed.
It has been a nightmare and a moneypit to everyone else.
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Re:
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Interested Parties
Google in $100 Million BPL Investment - July 7, 2005
"Google, Goldman Sachs and the Hearst Corporation have ponied up a combined $100 million to invest in Current Communications Group, hoping to rapidly expand the reach of broadband throughout the country."
The rest of the article:http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3518341
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BPL is kind of scary
Will the DVD player report all the pron I watch?
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Re: BPL is kind of scary
Do you run a cell-network jamming system in your home? Have one-way glass on all your windows? Sound proof entirely from the outside world?
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Re: Re: BPL is kind of scary
btw - passive suppression would probably be better than active jamming.
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BPL is based on voodoo physics
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Re: BPL is based on voodoo physics
The IEEE doesn't agree with you, and I'm pretty sure they have people with a great deal more than half a clue about electrical engineering and basic radio theory.
* IEEE 643-2004 "Guide for Power-Line Carrier Applications" is a standard for communication over the transmission line network (above 69kV).
* IEEE P1675 "Standard for Broadband over Power Line Hardware" is a working group working on hardware installation and safety issues.
* IEEE P1775 "Powerline Communication Equipment - Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Requirements - Testing and Measurement Methods" is a working group focused on PLC equipment, electromagnetic compatibility requirements, and testing and measurement methods.
* IEEE P1901 "IEEE P1901 Draft Standard for Broadband over Power Line Networks: Medium Access Control and Physical Layer Specifications" is a working group for delivering broadband over power lines. The aim is to define medium access control and physical layer specifications for all classes of BPL devices - from long distance connections to those within subscriber premises. Many companies and standard bodies are participating in the developing IEEE P1901 standard including HomePlug Powerline Alliance, UPA, CEPCA and OPERA; this means a good chance for a unified power line communication standard in the future. Launch is expected in 2008.
* IEEE BPL Study Group — "Standardization of Broadband Over Power Line Technologies" drove the creation of the BPL related P1901 working groups. It still meets time-to-time looking to create new working groups if needed.
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Re: BPL is based on voodoo physics
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Re: Re: BPL is based on voodoo physics
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the third pipe dream
the more competition in that space the better off we will all be, even if we choose to stay with cable or DSL.
thisis why muni-fiber, muni-wifi, and all those other broadband projects need to get off the ground despite whining and complaining from incumbents.
i would like to see the mobile providers step up and offer their broadband services with speeds and caps that would allow them to compete with residential providers.
of course, it will never happen, since there are really only two mobile carriers (verizon and at&t) who both have dsl and fiber businesses to protect, even though it means they could expand into regions that they do not currently have monopolies on.
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Re: the third pipe dream
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Broadband over powerline
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BSL
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Re: BSL
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What happens in the substation & transformer?
How does this work with the 11kv/415 v transformer? Is a seperate transformer required for the BPL signals operating at a very different frequency to the 50Hz mains? What failure modes could this transformer have, and how are they protected against?
I know Americans are much more willing to work live, but if I have to work on HV gear it will be isolated and earthed and I will not care what that does to your BPL if there is the remotest effect on my safety.
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Midwest Energy is rolling out BPL in SW. MI
http://www.teammidwest.com/bpl.aspx
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