n2jtx
join:2001-01-13
Glen Head, NY
 ·Optimum Online
| reply to BigCreek
Re: I'm always amazed ...
said by BigCreek  :
... that everyone seems so anxious to see this technology die. Are there problems with it? Apparently so. But we need this technology to compete with DSL/cable and to serve the dead areas.
So would everyone mind not doing the happy dance. There's not much to celebrate here.
Let's hope they can re-group and find solutions.
I, for one, want this to work.
No, we do not need this technology. Short of the BPL providers notching out all of the frequencies between 2MHz and 80MHz to mitigate interference, which would effectively stop it from working, or going around and placing shielding on all of the transmission lines, it is doomed to cause interference, period. What the FCC needs to come to terms with is the question about whether or not providing Internet service via this technology outweighs the destruction of the radio spectrum. They apparently seem to agree that it is but still need to sweep these nasty little "hiccups" with the technology under the rug. If there was no other way to provide broadband Internet, I would definitely say there is a problem and it might outweigh the benefits to having a clean HF spectrum. However, there is cable and DSL (and fiber if you are lucky), though the companies are not deploying it to many areas because there is no money to be made with regards to the investment they have to make in the equipment and infrastructure.
However, there appears to be another alternative besides BPL, DSL and Cable. If you take a look at »802.16 Ratified , there is an article on the new 802.16 wireless standard. It may be some time away but the Wimax idea looks perfect for rural areas without the HF mess caused by BPL. Stick up a large antenna and beam broadband to the entire community. Of course this will probably not be good in the truly rural areas where neighbors are several miles apart but then there is no way any broadband technology is going to be deployed in those areas anytime soon. In terms of investment, the only infrastructure will be the installation of the transmitting tower, the transceiver and the Internet equipment connected to the transceiver. End user installation will probably be no more difficult than installing satellite TV. |
