|
| ||||||||
Subscribe through Feedburner           ArchivesRecent Comments
|
 |
I have been hearing of this solution for years. Analysts have been crying wolf again and again. But, alas, it is finally here. Motorola announced late last week that they are launching their BPL (Broadband Over Power Lines) solution. 13 million rural homes are awaiting this type of technology. Three pieces of equipment are needed in this type of setup: access point cluster, integrated antenna - bridge router, and home plug modem. BPL will currently support 3-4 Mbps transmission rates. However, new modem chip technologies are currently emerging that would allow for 10Mbps rates (with 30Mbps in the near future). …Whatever the initial outcome for BPL, the consumer wins. Cable and DSL finally have a competitor to help drive down cost. Related Posts:WiMax With little fanfair, Intel pushed the new WiMax chip into production last week. Code-named Rosedale, the new wireless 5116... Google Moves Google, Goldman Sachs, and Hearst Media have provided a cash infusion in Current Communications, a Broadband over PowerLine(BPL) developer. ... SqueezeBox Duet Music Player In this age, folks are gathering digital media like nobody's business. Part of that burgeoning digital collection is music. Man,... How Fast Can You Go? CNN Money is reporting that international company, Teleste, is saying that it will be able to provide ethernet to homes... PodShow Levels Podcast Playing Field If there was any doubt about podcasting prominence, kiss that goodbye. PodShow and Limelight are teaming up to bring... Comments4 Comments so far |
 |
| ||||
First off, let me say that I work in for a company that has direct involvement with both the cable AND telephony data industries. DSL is truly my bread and butter, so to speak. That said, good healthy competition is good for the consumer and I’m all for good alternatives.
Note that the following points relate to existing BPL products and are not specifically applicable to the just-announced Motorola product. ( see: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/05/23/1/?nc=1 and http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/alternatives.html )
Now, the problems that I have with existing BPL products are:
1. The powerline system is an intrinsic antenna. It both *radiates* and is susceptible to radiation. The spectrum that is used with BPL is enourmous and is causing havoc in both licensed and unlicensed spectrum. I’m a Ham radio operator and I can tell you that the studies show that the interference potential is out of this world. Not good. Imagine causing an emergency transmission to be grabled or lost due to RFI from a BPL system…
2. Whatever bit-rate has been advertised for BPL has yet to be shown in real-world tests to date. While it’s theoretical speeds appear to be very attractive, the reality so far is fairly different. Time will tell whether those speeds can be achieved and maintained.
3. As stated in item #1, power lines are susceptible to radio frequency interference (RFI) and as a result, the chances for harmful interference from the outside is quite high. A passing car with a public-service two way radio, CB, or Ham radio has the potential to disrupt BPL data.
4. BPL is an unlicensed system (from an RF perspective) and thus has little recourse in cases where ingress signals cause problems. On the flip side, BPL *must* resolve any interference that it causes to licensed services.
5. While one might think that rural areas would be the ideal target for BPL technology, most (if not all) trials to date have taken place in urban/residential locales.
6. Many trials of BPL technology have been or are being shut down due to the in-feasibility of the systems with regard to a combination of customer satisfaction, interference events, overall cost, etc.
Don’t just take my word for it. Please take a look here: http://internet.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=05/05/16/2040240&tid=152&tid=141&tid=13&tid=3
for more details.
Now, the upside to all this is that the Motorla system appears to be designed with an eye towards a number of these objections and so appears worth investigating.
The point is that while BPL sounds good on the surface, it has a ways to go before it truly can become a viable broadband delivery system. Let’s hope the Moto system provides a solution to the most serious of these problems. Time will tell.
tdw
http://www.schoolhousemultimedia.com/WordPress/wordpress/index.php
todd,
great comment. thanks for all the additional information. i like it when professionals in their respective areas dive in and give us their insights!
I’ve read about the interference issues, the projections, etc. I’m glad that the motorola solution is starting to address the interference issues - both for the service and also for folks like ham radio operators. Time will tell what comes of it.
They say that time heals all technology gaffes…or something like that…
Anyhow, it would please me to see BPL overcome the various technical issues that I mentioned (and others that I didn’t). Trust me, the concept of “plugging into” the Internet is very attractive. I’ve no doubt whatever that there would be a tremendous market potential for companies like the one I work for! So, I’m caught in the middle between not wanting it to succeed if it causes the kinds of problems that I know exist, and wanting it to succeed for my long-term employment’s sake!
Broadband is way better than DSL. I have Comcast with a wireless networks to boot; it’s still faster. MY WEBSITE.