Appeals Court Wants Better Reasoning on BPL

05.02.2008

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A federal appeals court has sided in part with ham radio operators who challenged FCC rules establishing the broadband over power lines (BPL) service, according to the American Radio Relay League.

The decision sends the rules back to the commission to defend how it arrived at some of its conclusions and publicize its related studies. But the court didn’t overturn the BPL service rules, which remain in effect .

The ARRL said the ruling is significant in that it could lead to changes in the rules and in the way some BPL companies operate.

The FCC had no comment on the decision.

At issue when the FCC instituted BPL service rules nearly two years ago was the question of whether BPL operation could interfere with amateur radio frequencies. The commission wanted to create BPL as a “third” broadband pipe into homes. We reported at the time the ARRL opposed the BPL service rules as created, citing interference concerns.

The AARL later sued the agency, saying the rules were not enough to prevent harmful interference to ham frequencies.