1. Access Broadband Over Power Line
Anh Wride
Senior Engineer; Policy and Rules Division
Presented to
International Civil Aviation Organization
Regional Preparatory Group (RPG) Meeting for World Radiocommunication Conference 2007 (WRC-2007), ACP Working Group B and F and NSP SSG Meetings. Bangkok, Thailand, February 2005
by Marcus Wolf, Senior Engineer, International Bureau
Office of Engineering and Technology
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

2. Outline Evolution of Communication Technologies over Power lines
Benefits of Access BPL and Access BPL Rulemaking
What are Access BPL requirements?
Mitigation Responsibility/Interference Complaint Procedure
February 16, 2005

3. Communication over Power Lines
Carrier current systems have been around for many years
Some examples:
Campus radio systems
Lamp/thermostat controllers
Until recently, general characteristics of carrier current systems were:
Low frequency
Low speed
Narrow frequency/spectrum bands
Used inside buildings/controlled environments (campus)
February 16, 2005

4. Broadband over Power lines
NEW Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) operations are different
Advanced digital processing and modulation techniques
Multiple carriers
Wide spectrum bandwidths (e.g., 2-80 MHz)
Two General Applications:
In-Home or in-building operations (HomePlug)
Access systems – Internet/broadband to neighborhood using medium voltage lines
February 16, 2005

5. Two Types of BPL In-House BPL Access BPL Broadband Internet Service
In-Home Computer Networking, Or Link Between Access BPL & Home
“Low Voltage” (120/240 VAC)
Broadband Internet Service
“Medium Voltage” (e.g. 10kV)
In-House BPL
Access BPL
Access BPL connects to computers in the home by in-house BPL or by WiFi (wireless)

6. Outline Evolution of Communication Technologies over Power lines
Benefits of Access BPL and Access BPL Rulemaking
What are Access BPL requirements?
Mitigation Responsibility/Interference Complaint Procedure
February 16, 2005

7. Benefits of BPL
“Last Mile” solution: potential 3rd Pipe (+ DSL & Cable) to bring broadband services to the home
Internet and high speed broadband access to wider areas of the country
Promote redundancy of communications systems
Improve utilities’ management of electric grid:
remote power outage notification, security monitoring, traffic control, remote meter reading, instant Wi-Fi Hot Spot installation
Enhance national security of energy distribution systems
Foster development of smart appliances and resource sharing (home networking)
February 16, 2005

8. Access BPL Rule Making Notice of Inquiry – April 2003
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) – February 2004
Report and Order - adopted October 14, 2004, released October 28, 2004
ET Docket 04-37, FCC
February 16, 2005

9. Objectives
Remove regulatory uncertainty to encourage investments in BPL
Promote development of Access BPL technology to allow consumers to reap its benefits
Ensure protection of licensed radio services
Ensure that compliance measurements are made in a consistent manner with repeatable results
February 16, 2005

10. Evolution of Communication Technologies over Power lines
Outline
Evolution of Communication Technologies over Power lines
Benefits of Access BPL and Access BPL Rulemaking
What are Access BPL requirements?
Mitigation Responsibility
February 16, 2005

11. Access BPL Rules I
Access BPL remains under Part 15 unlicensed device rules (new Subpart G)
No change in existing Part 15 emission levels (low power unlicensed operation)
Access BPL operations cannot cause harmful interference and must accept any interference (47 C.F.R §15.5)
February 16, 2005

12. Access BPL Rules II
Access BPL must include adaptive interference mitigation capabilities to respond to local and site-specific interference, e.g.
Exclude or “notch” any specific frequency or band
Remotely shut off any BPL device
February 16, 2005

13. Access BPL Rules III
BPL cannot operate on certain “excluded frequency bands”
Specifically, the following 12 Aeronautical (R) frequencies (communications restricted to safety and regularity of flight and an ILS component):
kHz
kHz
kHz
kHz
kHz
kHz
kHz
kHz
kHz
kHz
kHz
MHz
February 16, 2005

14. Access BPL Rules IV
Establishes “exclusion zones” within which Access BPL must avoid operating on certain frequencies
Access BPL must avoid using 2182 kHz ( kHz) within 1 km of a U.S. Coast Guard or maritime public coast station
Access BPL using overhead power lines must avoid using MHz within 29 km of ten radio astronomy sites (Very Long Baseline Array facilities)
Access BPL using underground power lines or overhead low voltage power lines must avoid using MHz within 11 km of certain radio astronomy sites
February 16, 2005

15. Access BPL Rules V
Establishes “consultation requirements” for BPL with public safety, and certain sensitive federal and aeronautical stations
Establishes a “good faith” process to ensure that
Access BPL systems do not cause interference; and
Any restrictions by licensees on BPL are only those necessary to avoid interference
February 16, 2005

16. Access BPL Rules VI
Requires industry to establish a publicly accessible database for Access BPL systems containing:
Access BPL Provider Name
Access BPL deployment by zip code
Frequency bands of operation
Type of equipment (FCC ID)
Contact Information (phone number and address) to facilitate interference resolution
Proposed or Actual date of Access BPL operation
February 16, 2005

17. Database Requirements
The industry will select the database administrator and must inform the Commission within 180 days of publication of Report and Order in the Federal Register
The Commission will issue a Public Notice announcing the identity of the database administrator
February 16, 2005

18. Access BPL Rules VII
Changes equipment authorization requirements for Access BPL devices from Verification to FCC Certification
Certification is an equipment authorization issued by the FCC and requires manufacturers to submit testing and measurement data to the FCC
Under Verification, the manufacturer determines the equipment is compliant and no data is submitted to the FCC unless requested
February 16, 2005

19. Access BPL Certification
Submit Application to TCB – new technology, not permitted
Test and Evaluate Product to Determine Compliance F C G R A N T
Label Product
Prepare Test Report and Application
Submit Application to FCC
Market Product
February 16, 2005

20. Access BPL Rules VIII
Provides new measurement procedures and guidelines to ensure that testing of Access BPL and other carrier current devices is performed in a more consistent and repeatable manner
Recommends that BPL operators perform testing during initial installation and periodically to ensure compliance
February 16, 2005

21. Evolution of Communication Technologies over Power lines
Outline
Evolution of Communication Technologies over Power lines
Benefits of Access BPL and Access BPL Rulemaking
What are Access BPL requirements?
Mitigation Responsibility
February 16, 2005

22. Mitigation Responsibility
Protection of Licensed Radio Services is provided by:
the emissions limits for Access BPL systems (low Part 15 levels)
the provisions for consultation areas, excluded bands, and exclusion zones; and
the requirement that Access BPL systems not cause interference.
The mitigation requirements are intended to ensure that Access BPL systems are designed with features that support interference mitigation
during initial installation, if sensitive local communications systems are identified in advance; and
after installation, the newly required operational capabilities will allow Access BPL system operators to expeditiously resolve any instances of interference that may occur, without the need to cease operations and thereby disrupt the broadband data services they provide to their subscribers.
February 16, 2005

23. Next Steps/Further Information
Transition time
18 months from publication of BPL Report and Order in Federal Register
For more information:
February 16, 2005