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BPL Regulations for Access
Networks
CURRENT’s Experience
US FCC Investigations Into BPL
During 2003-2006, the United States Federal Communications
Commission conducted an extensive investigation into Broadband Over
Power Line (BPL)
Involved over 5000 submitted comments from interested parties,
technical field investigations and testing.
Concluded with an endorsement of the potential of BPL systems for both
broadband access delivery as well as improving electric utility operations.
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General Findings
FCC concludes that BPL “offers the potential to give rise to a major new medium
for broadband service delivery”

Residential, institutional, commercial users

Rural, underserved and competitively served areas

Promote U.S. leadership in broadband technology
FCC noted that many utilities are looking to BPL to enable a variety of “more
sophisticated power distribution applications”

SmartGrid Applications include automated outage/restoration detection,
remote monitoring and operation of network distribution equipment, remote
connect/disconnect, demand-side management programs and power quality
monitoring to detect faulty components before they fail.
“Access BPL systems will be able to operate successfully on an unlicensed, nonharmful interference basis”
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FCC General Findings (continued)
“Harmful interference potential from Access BPL systems operating in compliance with the
existing Part 15 emission limits for carrier current systems is low in connection with the
additional rules”
“Potential for any harmful interference is limited to areas within a short distance of the
power lines” and the potential “decays rapidly” with distance from the line
No evidence that BPL will raise the background noise level (“noise floor”)
No evidence that Access BPL will cause the power lines to act as miles-long antennae
radiating RF energy along their full length
“Properly designed and operated” systems pose “little interference hazard”
The FCC reaffirmed that existing Part 15 limits for BPL systems should apply and will pose
little interference risk.
Also maintained in-situ testing for compliance due to lack of evidence showing correlation
from lab measurements to actual field levels
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FCC Reaffirmed Part 15 Emissions Limits
Class A radiated emissions rules apply on MV wires
 MV wires carry between 1,000 and 40,000 volts from a substation and may be
overhead or underground
Class B radiated emissions rules apply on LV wires
 LV wires carry “low voltage, e.g., 240/120 volts” from a distribution transformer
to a customer premise
Class A provides for ~10 db more power then Class B
 Distinction applies only above 30 MHz
FCC rejected requests for
 emissions increases for rural areas (Main.net)
 emissions increases of 10 db above Class A (Satius)
 emissions decreases from amateurs applicable to ham bands
FCC will revisit emissions levels if “information develops that raising the limits
might be possible without incurring unacceptable risk of interference”
No conducted emissions limits (including AM radio bands)
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The FCC Rules Have Been Proven Right!
BPL has continued deployment in North America
CURRENT’s deployment experience shows that BPL can be deployed without interference
CURRENT has the two largest BPL deployments in North America
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55,000 homes in Cincinnati, Ohio (operational since 2004)

>60,000 homes in Dallas, Texas (operational since 2006)
Zero interference complaints of any kind
Even the National Association for Amateur Radio has stated that BPL done as CURRENT
does it poses little interference risk.
CURRENT has shown that BPL can be deployed at the FCC limits without
interference!
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