Radio Amateurs of Canada to reply to BPL consultation paper

August 5, 2005 -- Industry Canada (IC) has begun a public consultation process for the introduction of BPL in Canada. The proceeding, spelled out in Canada Gazette Notice SMSE-005-05, dated July 19, will determine how BPL will be introduced in Canada. It will include the development of a new certification standard for medium voltage powerline carrier systems. "The intent of this consultation paper is to seek comment on the deployment and regulation of BPL systems, including the specific equipment standards and operational requirements which address potential interference to radio services," IC explains. A consultation paper is roughly the equivalent of an FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Interested parties have 120 days to reply. Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) plans to reply to this consultation directly to IC and through the Radio Advisory Board of Canada (RABC), an association of Canadian radio spectrum user associations to which RAC belongs. RAC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Jim Dean, VE3IQ, a member of the RABC Executive, will chair a working group preparing RABC's response. Joe Parkinson, VE3JG, will serve as the working group's RAC delegate. "RAC is not against BPL," the organization said in a statement. "It is against the interference to radio services created by BPL, and looks forward to this consultation process as an opportunity to have an input into the certification standard." The RAC says it will "aggressively push to ensure the concerns of the Amateur Service are addressed in the RABC response." Canadian amateurs are invite to address all comments on questions in the consultation to Joe Parkinson, VE3JG, RAC, 720 Belfast Rd, Suite 217, Ottawa ON K1G 0Z5, ATTN: BPL Team, or via e-mail to ve3jg@rac.ca or jgparkinson@rogers.com. The working group expects to wrap up its work in early November. RAC will update the process in the "Latest News" section of its Web site.

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