Many articles have appeared in the press about BPL. The articles on this web page are a selected representative of the many articles ARRL believes address the technical aspects of BPL's operation and its impact on radio operators.  Many more such articles are listed in links in the archives that can be accessed by clicking the year in the archives list below.

ARRL also has a related page that explains how to best communicate information about BPL to local newspapers and TV or radio stations.

Archives of older articles:   2012    2011   2010    2009   2008   2007   2006   2005   2004 and earlier

Nearly a third of U.S. households have smart meters already
The Institute for Electric Efficiency (IEE) has updated its smart meter research, revealing that nearly one in three U.S. households have a smart meter already. That's up from one in four households in September of 2011. IEE projects one half of all U.S. households will be equipped with smart meters by 2015.

BPL Takes Posthumous Beating with IBEC closure
January 4, 2012 - After years of hype as the “great broadband hope” (as former FCC boss Mike Powell put it) broadband over power line (BPL) technology exists as essentially a largely dead niche broadband solution, outperformed by even many modern wireless technologies. The technology always suffered from interference concerns, and the utilities weren’t sold on the idea of jumping into a duopoly market against companies like AT&T.

You can't kill BPL if its already dead
January 13, 2012 -Broadband over powerline is dead. Again. At least it is in the US, where BPL service provider International Broadband Electric Communications (IBEC) – backed by IBM – announced this week it was shutting down services in the rural markets where it operates, according to FierceTelecom.

Radio Society of Great Britain announces PLT must comply with CISPR22
January 31, 2012 -The latest revision of EN55022:2006+A2:2010 (from October 1, 2011) is the only Harmonised EMC Standard that can be applied specifically to new IT products. It specifies emission level limits that will both protect radio services, and allow other equipment to operate as intended. The EU has confirmed that, absent any approval of the draft EN 50561 PLA standard, PLT devices are now included in the 55022 standard.

Powerline Carrier - Close, but Likely no Cigar
February 6, 2012 - Using a home's wiring as a LAN is tempting, but as we found during a recent testing exercise, likely not a substitute for wireless.  Given the relatively poor results of the distance test, it would be hard to recommend powerline products in demanding applications. I suspect these products, despite a very long gestation period for the underlying technology, will not be going mainstream anytime soon.

Manila Electric testing BPL and Smart Meters
January 3, 2011 -Manila Electric Co. is negotiating with a number of potential partners for its prepaid and postpaid smart metering services. Oscar Reyes, Meralco’s chief operating officer, reports that the utility is in talks with North American, European, and Asian companies. Reyes says the goal is to give their customers the tools to more efficiently manage their electric bills.

Smart grid communications: BPL Resurfaces in Liverpool. Is it back from the dead?
January 3, 2011 - It's been declared dead many times, but like a classic Beatles ditty you can't get out of your head, broadband over power line (BPL) is back for another whirl in Liverpool. The Liverpool Daily Post reports that about 1,200 homes will get smart meters that will pave the way for superfast broadband via electric lines.

Broadband Over Power Line Trial in UK
January 6, 2011 - After years and years of hype and promise from the broadband over powerline industry that the technology would revolutionize broadband delivery, the technology effectively died last year after consistent problems with interference and implementation. The technology is little more than a niche solution at this point, with most gear vendors turning their attention to smart utility monitoring technology instead. Still, you'll see the occasional trial still pop up now and again -- like in Liverpool.

Smart Meters, Dumb Headlines
January 12, 2011 - BPL claims have on occasion been driven by commercial opportunism (nothing like good news to pump up a flaccid share price or buff a stodgy corporate profile), incomprehension or indifference on the part of the mass media and the tendency of 'citizen journalists' to drink the digital koolade. The reality is - and will remain - that although broadband (however defined) can be delivered via the conventional electricity grid, such delivery is fraught with difficulty and is not commercially competitive once steps are taken to deal with radio interference and other problems. (I've noted that is also possible to deliver the net via carrier pigeon or bongo drum ... both mechanisms are technically feasible but, how very strange, have not supplanted wireless, fibre or conventional copper.)

Internet service over power lines looks like a bust
January 22, 2011 - Broadband over powerline (BPL) has just never panned out. In fact, Techdirt notes, the first major attempt to bring BPL to the masses has now shut down, with the city of Manassas, Virginia, turning off the technology altogether.

 BPL Pollution to hit Cumbria
June 7, 2011 - It appears that people in Cumbria will be subjected to pollution from a new Broadband over Power Line (BPL) system that could ruin their enjoyment of radio. A report on ISP Review says that a pilot using BPL will take place in the village of Shap in Cumbria. This pilot is being run alongside the installation of Smart Meters and there are concerns that polluting BPL may be deployed along with the rollout of Smart Meters in the rest of the UK.

Grids get smart with BPL
July 25, 2011 - The global transition to electricity smart grids is creating new business opportunities for broadband power line (BPL) communications vendors, driven by utilities' need for real-time, two-way communications networks in their electricity distribution networks.

Can Broadband over Powerline find new life in India?
Aug 24, 2011  - BPL was a disaster in the US. It never reached its technical potential and it sucked away hundreds of millions in venture funds from early stage investors who backed BPL startups. But India may be a different story, since BPL has the potential to bring not just smart grid capabilities, but also broadband for customers.

Current's pivot: from Broadband to smart grid to overseas
September 13, 2011: You may remember Current, because at one point a half decade ago Google, Goldman Sachs, General Electric and others pumped over $200 million into the company, in an effort to make broadband over powerline (BPL) a reality.  Jump forward about six years, and Current has morphed into a smart grid company focused on sales of its smart grid gear outside of the U.S.

Testing of Broadband over Powerlines extended
October 18, 2011 -The commercial launch of broadband over power lines (BPL), a project of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and Manila Electric Co., (Meralco) will be delayed as the testing period will be extended due to technical issues.They are extending testing to next year to make sure there is no "interference" when the project is commercially launched."We are not happy with the performance test. We will do some tests next year," Mr. Panlilio said. The testing for the new technology started in August 2009.

Analysis: FCC Completes Access BPL rules that may cause problems in the future
October 25, 2011 - The FCC has completed their Access BPL rules.  This opens a brand new way to deliver broadband services and may also open up a new way to wreck havoc on radio devices.

FCC Finalizes Rules for Broadband from Wall Sockets
October 25, 2011 - Broadband access from ordinary wall sockets may yet become a reality. The Federal Communications Commission today affirmed its rules for Broadband over Power Lines with minor modifications. In today’s Second Report and Order, the commission said the resulting cycle of comments did not “warrant any changes to the emissions standards or the extrapolation factor,” but they were making “several refinements” anyway.

FCC Affirms BPL Rules, Makes Minor Refinements
October 27, 2011 - Monday the FCC issued the Second Report and Order (FCC 11-160). After this long proceeding, lasting over 7 years, the commission said, "In this Second Order, we complete our action addressing the court's concerns and our proposals in the RFC/FNPRM. We find that the information submitted in response to the RFC/FNPRM does not warrant any changes to the emissions standards or the extrapolation factor. We are, however, making several refinements to our Access BPL rules." See all filings in Docket 04-37.

FCC Releases Broadband over Power Line Rules
October 27, 2011 - Paving the way for utility companies to one day deliver high-speed Internet service through power lines, the FCC released rules earlier this week governing the use of Broadband over Power Line (BPL) technology. While no major utility company has committed to investing in BPL technology, the FCC rules could make it easier for utilities to experiment with broadband offerings.

FCC Clears Up Their Powerline Broadband Rules
October 28, 2011 - Despite the fact that unshielded powerlines were simply never good conduits for broadband, the FCC desperately wanted BPL to succeed. In 2008 the FCC had their wrist slapped by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, who ordered the FCC to correct omissions made in their original rules. Several years later, this week finds the FCC releasing their updated rules.

FCC BPL Ruling Menaces Reception
November 16, 2011 - A recent ruling by the FCC may bring Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) closer to reality. Last month the Commission issued the Second Report and Order (FCC 11-160). The  proceeding stretched over 7 years, ending with the FCC adopting the Access BPL rules, as reported in TV Technology.

Hams Not Happy With Latest BPL Changes
November 28, 2011 - The commission released a Second Report and Order on BPL Monday. ARRL, a national association for hams, has been active on this issue. It noted that the R&O is in response to a court order that instructed the commission to revise its BPL rules, which ARRL had challenged earlier. The association believes BPL emissions “pollute” the radio spectrum, including bands used by amateur radio, and that BPL has failed as a method of delivering broadband connectivity.

Huber+Suhner wins CHF 60 million broadband power line project in Malaysia
November 29, 2011 - Realm Energy/JSR Sdn Bhd (RESB) awarded HUBER+SUHNER to design, supply, install, test and commission the fiber optic part of its Broadband Powerline (BPL) Project. The project intends to bring broadband internet connections to more than two million Malaysian households. The Malaysian BPL project is one of the largest of its kind in the world.

Broadband Reports articles about BPL Broadband Reports regularly runs articles about BPL. They permit discussion of their articles, and ARRL staff are regular contributors.

Broadband Over Power Line World
This site, no longer in publication, contains a number of news stories and audio interviews with various people in the BPL industry.