New York Public Service Commission Recognizes BPL Interference Concerns

NEWINGTON, CT, Oct 20, 2006 -- The New York Public Service Commission (NYPSC) this week adopted a policy statement on deployment of BPL systems in the Empire State. While asserting that BPL technology "may provide significant benefits to New Yorkers," the commission also has acknowledged that BPL "poses a myriad of both traditional and unique technical and regulatory challenges." The policy statement, issued and effective October 18, says that while most BPL providers, equipment makers and vendors believe the FCC's Part 15 rules address interference issues, that was not the consensus opinion of those who commented to the Commission.

"Most parties were uneasy about potential interference problems that could arise with the deployment of BPL technology," the NYPSC policy statement pointed out, citing RF interference as "a major issue."

The NYPSC policy affirmed its decision that electric utilities should not be BPL providers. Utility Consolidated Edison still operates a BPL trial system in the Westchester County community of Briarcliff Manor that has been the target of BPL interference complaints from radio amateurs. The policy puts primary responsibility for RFI on the BPL provider, who, under the NYPSC model, would lease access to the electric utility's grid.

"The BPL provider is primarily responsible for responding to all customer service and collateral service complaints and issues, including any related to interference produced by BPL equipment," the policy statement says.

In his oral comments to the NYPSC, Robert Mayer, director of the New York Office of Telecommunications, characterized the interference issues as "serious and unresolved." Mayer told the Commission that radio interference is "probably one of the most fundamental questions" facing BPL and that it remained unresolved.

"It's one of the things that this commission needs to be most vigilant about as these trials are deployed to make an assessment of what interference issues exist," he said. Mayer also predicted an uphill battle for BPL in gaining market share.

The BPL pilot project in Briarcliff Manor, New York, continues to cause strong interference on the ham bands in some locations based on recent testing, ARRL Lab Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, reports. [Alan Crosswell, N2YGK, Photo]

The NYPSC's policy statement encourages electric utilities, BPL equipment manufacturers, and third-party BPL operators to participate in such trials. "Given the uncertainty surrounding the technical and economic viability of the technology," the policy noted, "trials would be for a limited service territory over a limited period of time." In addition to Briarcliff Manor, BPL trials are said to be under way in parts of Orange County and the Borough of Manhattan as well as in the Village of Solvay in Onondaga County.

ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, said the policy statement the NYPSC adopted this week effectively damns BPL with faint praise.

"In sharp contrast to the vacuous endorsements of BPL that sometimes emanate from public utilities commissions, New York State's has actually taken the time to assess the risks posed by BPL and to take steps to insulate the electric utilities and their customers from them," Sumner said. "The Commission found that BPL is not yet -- and may never be -- commercially viable, and that radio interference is a 'major issue' that has not been put to rest by the FCC."

Earlier this year, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) adopted regulatory guidelines for electric utilities and companies that wish to develop BPL projects in that state. The CPUC said BPL would bring Internet access to "underserved communities" in California.

ARRL Lab Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI -- the League's BPL point person -- said the NYPSC's policy statement reflects "a fair and complete look at the issues" by regulators who didn't base their findings on presumptions and a preconceived desired outcome. "This is an example of how government is supposed to work, and New York's Amateur Radio community should appreciate this," he said.

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