Broadband over Power Lines
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HF (SHORTWAVE) RADIO WILL NEVER BE THE SAME
AGAIN!!!!!!!
This page contains general
information and comment on "BPL" (Broadband over Power Lines) or
as it is known elsewhere "PLC" (Power Line Communications). The
links on the BPL AUSTRALIA and BPL
WORLD pages take you to many Australian and World-Wide
BPL/PLC related sites. Some of it is marketing material from
Pro-BPL companies usually emphasizing the positives without
discussing the many negatives.
Due to the changing
nature of BPL technology, these links and page may be changed
or deleted at any time.
These pages
last updated on Thursday, 19 January 2023
(Logo
courtesy of Cosy Muto JH5ESM, Japan)
What is
BPL?
Although power line
communications is not new, attempting to use it for broadband
Internet is. Using the power lines, BPL transmits data (usually
a broadband Internet service) to a home or business (homes
mostly) via the power socket. In doing so, BPL creates a lot of
interference to vital long distance radio communications
frequencies.
So what's
the big deal over BPL!
To put it simply and
assuming ALL the technical reports are correct and depending on
the type of BPL system used, anyone listening to radio
frequencies from VLF up to lower VHF (and possibly higher) will
hear a loud noise on their radio receiver similar to the
following list. (depending on the BPL system it will sound
either like a Geiger counter; noisy carrier waves turning on and
off very rapidly; or it will sound like a dial-up modem
connecting to a phone line). (For some BPL/PLC sound examples
please click here, here, here, here, here or here!! Most are either in MP3
or WAV format)
This sound is
permanent and it does not just hit one radio frequency, it wipes
out many radio frequencies at one time, in fact, the more BPL
users are on-line using the electricity cable for broadband
Internet, the more radio frequencies will be in use.
Noise levels above
10db over 9 are expected to be common leaving HF (Shortwave)
radio use unusable (this means only extremely strong signals
would be heard, and most of those will have interference). Weak
signal listening will be no more and the only long distance
alternate radio service to Satellites (namely HF (Shortwave))
will be gone.
It is expected that
users of the HF (Shortwave) and lower VHF radio frequencies will
experience the highest noise levels, however depending on your
location, other radio frequencies in the LF and MF radio
spectrum (which includes the AM radio band) may be affected.
BPL has
already been rejected!!!
BPL has already been
rejected in Japan, Austria and even in some parts of the USA, and
the economies of BPL are already been proven to be suspect, yet
the Pro-BPL lobby seem never to stop with their spin doctoring
and in fact don't seem to care if it causes massive interference
to HF (Shortwave) as they view it as "OLD" and "OBSOLETE"
technology. After all they have the same mentality as the
people who for spurious reasons closed down VNG (Australia's
HF (Shortwave) Time Signal Station!!) They fail to realise that
HF (Shortwave) is still and will continue to be a viable
alternative for long distance radio communications.
BPL is
Spin Doctors Heaven
Some Pro-BPL
commentators are in fact paid for lobbyists to push the Pro-BPL
propaganda case. Endless so called "Independent" reports are
issued (This one for example - 1478 Kb pdf) carrying the Pro-BPL
party line (the USSR era newspaper "Pravda" would be proud).
The Main Stream media
of course lap this up as the very mention of the words of broadband and Internet send them into a feeding
frenzy just like a flock of seagulls; after all it's broadband
so it must be good, Yeah Right!!! Anyone interviewed on the
media is automatically declared an "expert" and his/her every
word or credentials are never challenged nor does the media ask
simple questions such as who is paying you to be the "expert"!!
Self proclaimed
"experts" on BPL magically appear from no where! (Which amazes me since
this technology in its current Internet form is quite new to
Australia, how can anyone claim to be an expert is beyond
comprehension). These "experts", have as much credibility as a
"used car" salesman such as issuing worthless reports and
actually having the cheek to ask you to pay for their endless
reams of paid for Pro BPL propaganda.
The "BPL" debate is
not just a question of a technology threatening HF (Shortwave),
we are also dealing with a complete ideology! This ideology
believes that the Internet (especially broadband) is the future
and everybody should have a permanent broadband connection to
it, for the greater good of society (sounds like Big Brother to
me and dare I say it the New World Order!).
It sees shortwave HF
(Shortwave) as ancient and they see BPL putting HF (Shortwave)
radio frequencies to better use. Anyone opposing BPL is
portrayed as against the progress of technology and against
"Broadband for All" statements made by politicians and their spin merchants.
However, our
argument is not with "Broadband" but HOW it is delivered!!!
Any new technology MUST NOT interfere with HF
(Shortwave) reception! HF (Shortwave) Radio is a rare and finite
radio resource that cannot be hijacked by the "Internet"
industry, it belongs to ALL licensed services that require long
distance radio communications. It is not for short term profit
for the porn merchants, DVD or software pirates!
According to a report
(shown in italics below) from Jim Linton VK3PC in the 22 August
2004 edition of WIA NEWS he has uncovered an interesting, to say
the least, development that is extremely disappointing and shows
that the electricity industry does not care about HF (Shortwave)
nor has it read the ITU regulations in respect of HF (Shortwave)
radio reception.
Report Begins
"The future
introduction of Broadband Powerline Communications (BPL) in
Australia could be on the condition that "less significant" HF
(Shortwave) radio users such as radio amateurs (Hams) and four
wheel driver clubs would not be protected from any
interference it causes.
The Australian power industry has a real concern about the
added expense required to address interference that could
affect amateur (Ham) radio stations and other recreational
radio users.
Its arguments include that to remove amateur (Ham) radio
frequencies from a BPL system will add cost and reduce the
capacity and potential data rate.
The power industry is requesting that the Australian
Communications & Media Authority (ACMA) outweigh the
concerns of recreational or "less significant" HF (Shortwave)
radio users with the higher community benefit of providing
greater access to broadband-enabling technology.
The ACMA, in response to the power industry concerns, is now
examining the legal possibility of allowing BPL networks to
cause substantial interference to "less significant" radio
services, while other radio services would continue to be
entitled to interference protection.
Presumably if this becomes reality the Amateur Service could
lose its protection against harmful powerline interference
too. After all, were are in the eyes of some just a "less
significant" radio service."
Report Ends
As seen from the
above report the "suits " and their "hangers-on" that run these
companies appear to have great pleasure in denigrating the
recreational aspects of HF (Shortwave) radio and for that matter
any use of HF (Shortwave), but fail to realise that these
"recreational" services have also been used in emergency and
rescue situations many times over. As seen with this link.
Their short sighted
view does not reflect the fact that things; can and do go wrong.
"What if" scenarios don't even enter their spin doctored minds!
The fact they are even contemplating BPL/PLC defies belief! I am
sure if someone dies because of "BPL/PLC" interference to HF
(Shortwave) radio communications the BPL proponents will blame
everyone and everything else, except their stupid decision to
approve BPL/PLC deployment in Australia.
If their warped logic
continues would "HF (Shortwave) Listening" be considered a
recreational pursuit? If so, why don't they also call listening
to the AM and FM radio broadcast bands a "recreational pursuit"
and push BPL to operate there as well? All radio listeners
should move to the Internet they'd say. I am sure all those
listeners who listen to AM "Talk" radio at night to interstate
stations would like to hear the heavy interference from BPL as
their neighbours download via Broadband the latest pirated DVD,
CD, or Porn Video.
Why don't these BPL
proponents go to a manufacturer of HF (Shortwave) equipment,
some of whom have spent millions of dollars on research and
development and say to them "Oh sorry we want people to achieve
cultural diversity and cross the great digital divide by
downloading porn and warez faster via the power lines, your
business is now finished, too bad!"
Perhaps these BPL
proponents would think again about what they propose to do to
the HF (Shortwave) radio frequencies if I said that ALL golf
courses that these BPL proponents play at are a waste of space,
as all they do is walk from one hole to another, hit a ball with
a stick and hope it falls in the hole. At the end of the day
they get drunk in the Club House. Golf courses take up too much
valuable space. The land could be put to better use for housing
and solar energy arrays. The water wasted on lush lawns could be
better used for agricultural purposes. I could go on and on!!!
In other words just
because a "Recreational Pursuit" is not like yours, and you fail
to understand what HF (Shortwave) radio communications is all
about, does not mean it is of lesser value and/or be destroyed
by the likes of the BPL proponents; the Electricity Barons; or
their lackey lobbyists.
It appears also that
the BPL proponents are also about restricting free speech and
commentary. HF (Shortwave) radio is an ideal way to receive
information from many varied sources cheaply. If BPL goes ahead,
my right to receive information from International HF
(Shortwave) radio broadcasting would be curtailed as the
interference from BPL would wipe out any useful HF (Shortwave)
radio reception.
HF (Shortwave) gives
me a wide cross section of cultures and points of view,
available on a simple HF (Shortwave) portable radio. No
computer, no credit card, no Internet password or contract and
no spam, spyware or viruses required. Not only that, new
technologies such as "DRM" Digital Radio Mondiale which was,
surprise; surprise, originally developed for International
Shortwave broadcasting could be swamped by BPL interference. (See this link) or download this pdf file (30 Kb).
Pro-BPL lobbyists
claim you should now listen to radio broadcasts via the Internet
rather than HF (Shortwave) in preparation for the BPL take over
of the HF (Shortwave) Radio spectrum, yet they still can't seem
to comprehend that to listen via HF (Shortwave) you only need
one portable receiver (Cost: $AUD150-$300), whereas via the
Internet you need a fast computer, a broadband account,
appropriate software, modem etc., (Cost: $AUD1500+). Some
Internet users in Japan have already realised this and are now
returning to listening to HF (Shortwave) Radio Broadcasts. (See this link for further
information)
BPL/PLC
interference to HF (Shortwave) is not legal according to ITU
agreements!
The following links
will take you to web sites featuring excerpts from current
International Telecommunications Union (ITU) radio regulations.
Please visit NASWA, and DXING.COM, as well as references in documents for BPL
interference submissions to the FCC in the United States of
America.
HF
(Shortwave) is Better and Cheaper!
Perhaps some basic
lessons for the Pro-BPL lobby are in order! To listen to a HF
(Shortwave) broadcast there is only one radio transmitter and
many receivers (listeners). To listen via the Internet, you
require many transmitters (audio streams) and many receivers
(computers)! Guess which one clogs up the Internet with
unnecessary bandwidth where as HF (Shortwave) does it better and
cheaper as well!!!
The Internet is
already so full of Spam, Pirated Software (Warez), Pirated DVD's
and CD's, Pornography, and streaming Audio and Video that the
Net already slows down to a crawl and a standard e-mail can take
longer than a conventional written letter to get to its
destination.
To all you Pro-BPL
lobbyists out there, what will happen when there is a power
failure, what will happen to your beloved BPL then. When the
Satellite Network is knocked out by a major power failure,
meteor storm or severe solar storm, what will happen when HF
(Shortwave) (which would be needed if Satellite services are
down) is so full of BPL interference that HF (Shortwave)
Communications is unusable.
HF
(Shortwave) will always be needed!
HF (Shortwave) will
always be needed to get essential world-wide communications back
on track quickly in case of a Satellite system failure. The
people who propose BPL have no idea about HF (Shortwave), don't care about HF (Shortwave) and
think AOR is a piece of Boating
Equipment; JRC is a brand of trendy jeans; Kenwood only makes sub-woofers; Icom is yet another mobile phone company; Ten-Tec makes washing machines and Winradio is what you win in a
contest!
Many countries and
services use HF (Shortwave) Radio because it is cheap and
reliable! The cost and infrastructure required is generally much
less than land line and/or satellite services. Why would the ABC
(Australian Broadcasting Corporation) for example be upgrading its HF (Shortwave) domestic service if
HF (Shortwave) Radio was "Outdated" as claimed by the BPL/PLC
lobby.
Despite a complete
lack of publicity (whether this was deliberate, I'll let you
decide)
for the ACMA's recent "BPL Discussion Paper", over 200
submissions were received with the overwhelming majority
rejecting BPL. Submissions were received from the Australian
Broadcasting Corporation, Department of Defence, Federal Police,
St John's Ambulance, Air Services Australia, Medical Emergency
Services, Optus, Telstra, Wireless Institute of Australia, Model
Aircraft Enthusiasts, CB Radio Operators, Outback Four Wheel
Drivers, Short-wave Radio Listeners and many individual people
concerned about the destruction of the HF Radio Spectrum by
Internet users who would use BPL.
Of course in early
2005 in the aftermath of the Tsunami disaster in Asia, HF
(Shortwave) showed once again that when the going gets tough,
Satellite phones, Mobile Phones and Broadband just could not
handle the conditions. Almost immediately Amateur (Ham) Radio
operators were providing vital communications links when all
other services failed or had been destroyed. One link to check
how important HF (Shortwave) Radio Communications is here or here!! Other links include here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here or here!!!
The following is a
quote from an e-mail to John Wright of the ARDXC from Victor, an
Amateur (Ham) Radio operator in the disaster area of Sri Lanka.
"The situation is
terrible. I feel more than 50,000 may have perished. I am a
Radio Amateur/Ham, the President of the National Organization
of Radio Hams in Sri Lanka. We set up emergency communications
via HF and VHF with 2 teams going into very bad disaster areas
and gave the Sri Lanka's Prime Minister's Office
communications with the coordinating Government Officer, which
had NO communication until we went in to establish HF links.
Our control centre was inside the Prime Minister's Official
house in his operational room. Will show how they valued our
services.
The moment we got a message there was a team to handle the
request for Medicine, Doctors and so many things. We will
continue until such time as the PM needs our help. After that
we will try humanitarian help, like tracing missing people in
hospitals and setting up communication centres in disaster
areas where there is no land lines working and mobile towers,
repeaters are down. Even Satellite phone failed and only HF
link was possible. Our batteries were running out and no
generators to charge, no electricity, lights etc. in those
regions where Telephone exchanges, powerlines and everything
for communications was down. Even satellite phone let down. No
way to charge batteries was another problem. Just plain
uncomplicated Short Wave saved lives. Ham Radio played an
important part and will continue to do so. Pray for the People
of South and S. East Asia. " Thanks again. Victor.
And here is a report from the 2005 Earthquake zone in
Pakistan.
GB2RS has
received reports of radio amateurs (Hams) helping in the
relief effort following the devastating earthquake that struck
the Kashmir region of Pakistan in October.
Nasir, AP2NK, president of the Pakistan Amateur Radio Society,
said: "It is a terrible situation with destruction over a big
area of difficult
mountain terrain. Hams and short wave listeners are helping in
the distribution of relief items. More teams are moving into
different towns so
that welfare messages can be exchanged as the available
telephone network is overloaded."
AP2NK also informed RadCom that radio amateurs (Hams) were
working with the official radio network of forest stations to
help exchange welfare messages in areas where telephones were
not available.
As reported previously in WIA National News (Oct 30) Horey
Majumdar, VU2HFR, told how "There has been some ham disaster
communication from Pakistan" mainly on 7.100 MHz. He also said
that hams from Turkey had entered Pakistan to assist in relief
operations. VU2RBI, meanwhile, said that Pakistani hams had
been relaying earthquake-related traffic, but admitted that
few amateur (Ham) radio stations had at that time been
established in the hardest-hit areas, some of which are very
remote with difficult access.
The earthquake is estimated to have killed more than 78,000
people, injured another 78,000 and left three million plus,
homeless. There are STILL fears that the death toll could rise
higher if the homeless are not provided with shelter before
the onset of the harsh Pakistani winter.
So what's this got to
do with BPL/PLC? Well it's very simple really. If BPL is
introduced the "Noise Floor" on a HF (Shortwave) receiver will
be so high that weak signal listening will be impossible and
anyone outside a disaster area trying to listen and even help
would be not be able to do so because of high interference and
noise such as this (114 Kb wav). Apparently people downloading Porn
and Pirated MP3's via BPL/PLC will have a higher priority than
saving lives.
In Australia, HF
(Shortwave) is used by Aviation, Military, Long Distance Truck
Drivers, various Government Departments, International
Broadcasters, the ABC, Maritime Services, Bureau of Meteorology,
Emergency Services, Amateur (Ham) Radio Operators, CB Radio
Operators, Outback Four Wheel drivers and other services.
HF (Shortwave) also
provides employment in Australia to hundreds of people involved
in manufacturing, research and development, servicing and supply
of HF (Shortwave) related communications equipment. Notable
Australian manufacturers include Barrett, Codan, Mobile One, Outbacker, Qmac, Winradio, plus many more
companies. Worldwide, thousands of people are employed in HF
(Shortwave) related employment!
This Essential Radio Service has the potential to
be destroyed overnight.
DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN!!!!!!
Tell other people in the HF (Shortwave) Radio
industry what is happening, before it is too
late!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ACT NOW before the greedy Power and Media companies
and their lackey Lobbyists get their way!!!!!
Look at
this site for Officially Listed BPL
Trials!!
Aurora
Energy
in
Tasmania
tested BPL in Hobart, and has tested
around at least 500 homes in Tasmania since August 2005.
Heavy interference to HF Radio Communications has been
reported. This is what it sounded like!!!!
(114 Kb wav) Awwwwwful!!!!! As of November 2007 the Tasmanian
BPL system has been closed down, officially because
of cost pressures, however un-officially, other reasons are
also believed to be involved.
The
ACMA has given permission for "Skynetglobal" to setup a BPL
system in AUSTRALIA.
Energy
Australia, ran a BPL trial in Newcastle, New South Wales,
AUSTRALIA.
Country
Energy
has just completed a BPL trial in Queanbeyan, near Canberra,
ACT, AUSTRALIA.
YouTube BPL/PLC interference Video
Links here!!!
This could be the start of something we never
Requested, Wanted or Needed!!!!!!!!!!!
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On-Line BPL Discussion
Forums
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SIGA (Spectrum Issues Group
Australia) follows developments and debate on
Broadband Over Power Lines (BPL) / Power Line
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This group is focused on BPL
(Broadband over Power Lines) and its effects on
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