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Hams Encouraged by NEW Motorola BPL Technology |
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Written by Leon D. Zetekoff, NCE
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Monday, 23 May 2005 |
From ARRL Amateur Radio News:
ARRL, the national association for
Amateur Radio, announced today that "The ARRL is pleased to hear
Motorola's announcement of its Powerline LV system. This is the first
Access Broadband over Power Line (BPL) system that has been designed from
the start with radio interference concerns in mind."
Motorola's Powerline LV system avoids using the medium-voltage (MV) power
lines and introduces broadband signals only on the low-voltage (LV) side
of the power transformer. This greatly reduces the potential for
interference to and from radio users, especially radio amateurs. ARRL
Chief Executive Officer David Sumner commented, "We know that medium-voltage (MV) power lines are no place for broadband energy,
since there is overwhelming technical evidence that radio interference
from BPL is unavoidable if MV lines are used. By confining their Access
BPL system to LV lines and by adding hardware notch filters for additional
protection to amateur radio frequency allocations, Motorola has addressed
our interference concerns."
While sometimes pictured by BPL proponents as opposing all BPL
implementation, the ARRL has always maintained that radio amateur
"hams" are not interested in blocking new technology but
are justifiably concerned about pollution of the radio spectrum.
Significant interference has been documented at numerous sites where other
BPL systems are being tested, and other BPL developers have been unwilling
to share information about their systems. By contrast, Motorola invited
ARRL's suggestions and welcomed its input during product development.
Sumner concluded, "We look forward to seeing the first Powerline
LV system in operation, and to continuing to work with Motorola to ensure
that their new product is indeed the first BPL system that is a solution,
not a problem."
There are approximately 670,000 Amateur Radio operators in the United
States. Many other countries are watching events unfold in the US as they
plan their own BPL systems. There are approximately 2.5 million Amateur
Radio operators around the world. If the new Motorola system lives up to
its initial promise in actual deployment, this new
"shortwave-friendly" system will have many advocates.
Information about Amateur Radio is available from the ARRL, the national
association for Amateur Radio, 225 Main Street Newington, CT 06111 or by
calling 1-800-32-NEW HAM. The URL for ARRL's home page is www.arrl.org.
Information about Motorola's "Powerline LV" system can
be found on their Web site. |
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