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Congressman-Ham
Asks FCC to Wait for NTIA Study Before Acting on BPL
 US Rep Greg Walden, WB7OCE (R-OR). |
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 16, 2004--US Representative
Greg Walden, WB7OCE, has called on the FCC to put off any further action in its
Broadband over Power Line (BPL) proceeding until the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) releases the results
of its BPL study and the public has had a chance to comment. Walden is a member of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and
the Internet.
"I feel that it is important to give the NTIA
study thorough consideration before proceeding further with BPL technology, in
view of the importance of avoiding interference to federal government HF
communications," Walden said in a January 15 letter to FCC Chairman Michael
Powell. An Oregon Republican, Walden is one of two Amateur Radio licensees in
the US House.
The FCC released a BPL Notice of Inquiry in ET
Docket 03-104 last April.
In comments
filed last August, the NTIA expressed "broad concern" about BPL. The
agency--which administers spectrum allocated to federal government users--has said
the FCC "must ensure that other communications services, especially government
operations, are adequately protected from unacceptable interference."
The NTIA, which is part of the US Department
of Commerce, subsequently undertook evaluations of BPL field test sites, in
part to gauge the technology's interference potential. Walden noted that the
NTIA's field work was scheduled to wrap up this month, and that its
observations and conclusions would be released sometime during the first
quarter of this year.
Walden told Powell that, given its
interference potential to federal and nongovernment radio services in the HF
and low-VHF range, the issue of BPL is "of great concern to me." He did not
indicate in his letter that he was an Amateur Radio licensee.
"It is important that the commission give
serious consideration to both the NTIA study and the subsequent round of public
comment on the study results," Walden asserted. While agreeing with the goal of
increased competition in broadband delivery, Walden encouraged the FCC to "give
sufficient attention" to concerns raised regarding BPL's potential to interfere
with other radio services.
"Allowing the public sufficient time to
evaluate the NTIA study is clearly in the best interest of all," Walden
concluded. He asked Powell to respond "outlining how you intend to proceed on
this important matter."
Page last modified: 10:18 AM, 17 Jan 2004 ET
Page author: awextra@arrl.org
Copyright © 2004, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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