Transcript Document

BPL Technical Rules
INTERNET
Brett Kilbourne
Associate Counsel
United Power Line Council
May 23, 2007
Driving the Development of Broadband over Power Line Solutions
for Electric Utilities and Their Technology Partners.
Copyright © 2005 United Power Line Council and United Telecom Council. All Rights Reserved.
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1
OUTLINE
 Background on Technical Rules
 FCC Rules
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Definition of Access/In-House BPL
Emission limits
Interference mitigation
Measurement guidelines
Equipment Certification
 Status Update
 Conclusions
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for Electric Utilities and Their Technology Partners.
Copyright © 2005 United Power Line Council and United Telecom Council. All Rights Reserved.
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FCC Technical Rules
(Background)
 Part 15 and Carrier Current Systems
 BPL is a Part 15 unlicensed operation, which is subject to a
general condition that:
“no harmful interference is caused and that interference must be
accepted” from any other licensed or unlicensed operation.
 Harmful interference is defined as:
“Any emission, radiation or induction that endangers the functioning of a
radio navigation service or of other safety services or seriously
degrades, obstructs or repeatedly interrupts a radiocommunications
service.”
 BPL is a type of carrier current system, defined as:
“A system, or part of a system, that transmits radio frequency energy
by conduction over the electric power lines. A carrier current system can
be designed such that the signals are received by conduction directly
from connection to the electric power lines (unintentional radiator) or
the signals are received over- the-air due to radiation of the radio
frequency signals from the electric power lines (intentional radiator).”
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FCC Technical Rules
(Background)
Part 5 and Experimental Authority
 BPL equipment may be operated on a
test/temporary basis.
FCC adopts BPL Rules to promote
BPL and to provide “consistent
and repeatable” measurement
procedures.
 Report and Order (FCC 04-245), released Oct.
2004;
 R&O affirmed (FCC 06-165), August 2006.
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Copyright © 2005 United Power Line Council and United Telecom Council. All Rights Reserved.
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FCC Technical Rules
(Overview)
 R&O addresses five main
areas:
1. Definition of Access/InHouse BPL
2. Emission limits
3. Interference mitigation
4. Measurement guidelines
5. Equipment Certification
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for Electric Utilities and Their Technology Partners.
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Definition of Access/InHome BPL Systems
 Access BPL System:
“A carrier current system installed and operated on an electric
utility service as an unintentional radiator that sends radio
frequency energy on frequencies between 1.705 MHz and 80
MHz over medium voltage lines or over low voltage lines to
provide broadband communications and is located on the supply
side of the utility service’s points of interconnection with
customer premises. Access BPL does not include power line
carrier systems as defined in Section 15.3(t) of this part or InHouse BPL as defined in Section 15.3(gg) of this part.”
 In-House BPL System:
“A carrier current system, operating as an unintentional
radiator, that sends radio frequency energy by conduction over
electric power lines that are not owned, operated or controlled
by an electric service provider. The electric power lines may be
aerial (overhead), underground, or inside the walls, floors or
ceilings of user premises. In-House BPL devices may establish
closed networks within a user’s premises or provide connections
to Access BPL networks, or both.”
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FCC BPL Emission Limits
 FCC affirms radiated emission limits,
and clarifies that Class A limits apply to
MV Access BPL
Regulation
Carrier Current Systems
1-30 MHz
Class A Digital Devices
30-88 MHz
Class B Digital Devices
30-88 MHz
Distance
V/m
dBV/m
3
3000
69.5
10
270
48.5
30
30
29.5
3
300
49.5
10
90
39
30
30
29.5
3
100
40
10
30
29.5
30
10
20
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FCC Interference
Mitigation Rules
 Capabilities
1. Access BPL systems shall incorporate
adaptive interference mitigation techniques
to remotely reduce power and adjust
operating frequencies, in order to avoid
site-specific, local use of the same spectrum
by licensed services. These techniques may
include adaptive or “notch” filtering, or
complete avoidance of frequencies, or bands
of frequencies, locally used by licensed radio
operations.
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FCC Interference
Mitigation Rules
Capabilities (cont’d)
2. Access BPL systems shall comply with applicable
radiated emission limits upon power-up following a fault
condition, or during a start-up operation after a shut-off
procedure, by the use of a non-volatile memory, or some
other method, to immediately restore previous settings
with programmed notches and excluded bands, to avoid
time delay caused by the need for manual
re-programming during which protected services may be
vulnerable.
3. Access BPL systems shall incorporate a remotecontrollable shut-down feature to deactivate, from a
central location, any unit found to cause harmful
interference, if other interference mitigation techniques
do not resolve the interference problem.
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FCC Interference
Mitigation Rules
 Notching Standards
1. For frequencies below 30 MHz, when a notch filter is used
to avoid interference to a specific frequency band, the
Access BPL system shall be capable of attenuating
emissions within that band to a level at least 20 dB below
the applicable Part15 limits.
2. For frequencies above 30 MHz, when a notch filter is used
to avoid interference to a specific frequency band, the
Access BPL system shall be capable of attenuating
emissions within that band to a level at least 10 dB below
the applicable Part 15 limits.
3. At locations where an Access BPL operator attenuates
radiated emissions from its operations in accordance with
the above required capabilities, we will not require that
operator to take further actions to resolve complaints of
harmful interference to mobile operations.
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FCC Interference
Mitigation Procedures
 FCC creates informal resolution process.
 BPL operators must post system/contact information to
BPL database within 30 days prior to operation
 Licensees must contact the BPL operator first before
complaining to the FCC.
 FCC imposes good faith duty by BPL operators and
licensees to identify and resolve interference.
 Time frame to respond to complaints:
•
•
In general: according to a “mutually acceptable schedule”
For public safety radio interference complaints: 24 hours to respond -- and if no
response in that time -- shut down.
 FCC acts as backstop and will entertain
complaints if interference is not
resolved.
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for Electric Utilities and Their Technology Partners.
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Special Protections
 Bands of Exclusion
 Spectral restrictions protect aeronautical frequencies
 Zones of Exclusion
 Geographic restrictions protect coast stations and few
VLBA stations
 Consultation Areas
 Advance 30 day notice protects aeronautical, astronomy
and radar receiving stations
 Also, BPL operators must consult with local public safety
licensees 30 days prior to operation.
 Special protections are narrowly tailored
by NTIA.
Driving the Development of Broadband over Power Line Solutions
for Electric Utilities and Their Technology Partners.
Copyright © 2005 United Power Line Council and United Telecom Council. All Rights Reserved.
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Measurement Guidelines
In-house BPL
 In situ testing around home and along power lines
connected to the home.
• Conducted and radiated emissions.
 Lab tests for computer peripherals.
Access BPL Systems
 Overhead installations: in situ testing along MV and
LV lines.
 Underground installations: in situ testing at radials
around the transformer.
Extrapolation factor
 40 db/decade < 30 MHz
 20 db/decade > 30 MHz
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Equipment Certification
All Access BPL equipment that is
manufactured, imported, marketed
or installed after July 7, 2006 must
be certified by the FCC to comply
w/rules.
Existing systems grandfathered for
one year to supplement/replace
equipment in the existing footprint.
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for Electric Utilities and Their Technology Partners.
Copyright © 2005 United Power Line Council and United Telecom Council. All Rights Reserved.
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Technical Rules Status
Update
 FCC Affirms BPL Rules (8/06)
 ARRL appeals to DC Circuit (10/06)
 Raises procedural and substantive issues with regard to
record evidence, interference protection and measurement
rules.
 Intervenors: UTC, NAB, MSTV, Ambient, Current, Duke and
Manassas (11/06)
 FCC Dismisses Manassas Complaint
(12/06)
 FCC has granted 14 applications for
equipment certification from 5 vendors
(1/07).
 Rep. Ross (D-AR) reintroduced bill (HR462) for a further FCC study of BPL in the
House of Representatives (1/07).
Driving the Development of Broadband over Power Line Solutions
for Electric Utilities and Their Technology Partners.
Copyright © 2005 United Power Line Council and United Telecom Council. All Rights Reserved.
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Final Words on FCC Rules
 FCC rules are working
 NTIA endorses rules during testimony 3/22 before House
Telecom/IT subcommittee.
•
Testified that NTIA Study showed that the interference potential from BPL “could
be very well-understood and easily mitigated”; Study incorporated into the FCC
rules to provide technical and regulatory certainty, leading to wide-scale
deployments of BPL.
 BPL rules are tougher than for any other Part 15
operations
 New equipment certification rules
improve mitigation
 35 systems operating in the U.S. today
for broadband and utility services
 Large scale deployments underway in Dallas, Houston,
Charlotte and Cincinnati.
Driving the Development of Broadband over Power Line Solutions
for Electric Utilities and Their Technology Partners.
Copyright © 2005 United Power Line Council and United Telecom Council. All Rights Reserved.
www.uplc.org
www.utc.org
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Any Questions?
For more information, please contact UPLC:
www.uplc.org
Brett Kilbourne
Director of Regulatory Affairs/Associate
Counsel
United Power Line Council
1901 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW – Fifth Floor
Washington, DC 20006 USA
1.202.833.6807
[email protected]
Driving the Development of Broadband over Power Line Solutions
for Electric Utilities and Their Technology Partners.
Copyright © 2005 United Power Line Council and United Telecom Council. All Rights Reserved.
www.uplc.org
www.utc.org
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