FCC blesses Broadband over power lines

THE US FEDERAL Communications Commission has changed the classification of Broadband over Powerline (BPL)so that it can compete with cable modem and DSL Internet access services. BPL use has been stymied for years by ham radio operators who claim that BPL interferes with radio waves.

According to Techweb, the FCC ruling now classifies the technology as an "information service" and its transmission component is telecommunications it bypasses the legal binding that prevented the technology's wide scale adoption.

A spokesFCC said the commission hoped that it would mean that there would be more competition between the different broadband platforms.

BPL use has been low in the US but has been growing. It is uncertain what will happen to ham radio operators who might be unable to ask their mates in Tokyo if it is raining in the future. Of course they could try internet chat.

More here. µ