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[RFI] BPL alternatives

To: <rfi@contesting.com>
Subject: [RFI] BPL alternatives
From: k1mk at arrl.net (Michael Keane, K1MK)
Date: Fri Aug 15 23:41:22 2003
At 01:33 PM 8/15/03, N6KJ wrote:

>I can certainly understand why there are people out there that are
>frustrated by their inability to get broadband access to their home, BUT
>there is no way you can convince me that polluting the HF radio spectrum
>is the only way to do it!  Here's at least 1 example of an alternative.
>
>http://www.wirelessnewsfactor.com/perl/story/22091.html

802.16a is a protocol in search of a spectrum allocation. As such, it's 
more likely than not to eventually show up in one or more of the 902 MHz, 
2.4 GHz & 5.8 GHz "unlicensed" bands, bands that are "shared" with the 
amateur service.

It would be better if we didn't put ourselves in the position of having to 
choose between having our HF bands polluted or our having microwave bands 
polluted. ;-)

>There are more alternatives being conceived all the time.  This just isn't
>necessary.  Hopefully, the FCC can be convinced of this.

The FCC is well acquainted with various "last-mile"alternatives
<http://ftp.fcc.gov/oet/tac/april26-02-docs/BB-Access-Tech.pdf>

But these days the Commission is philosophically adverse to preemptively 
rejecting an alternative simply because it's a really, really bad idea 
technically. That would be picking winners and losers; and, as they see it, 
that's a bad thing. Far better they feel for investors and consumers to 
make the technical choices rather than have them dictated by the govinm'nt.

That's a philosophy I could actually get behind if the FCC were as equally 
committed to serving as a fair umpire and enforcing the rules on 
non-interference.

73,
Mike K1MK

Michael Keane K1MK
k1mk@alum.mit.edu

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