FCC EXPECTED TO CLASSIFY COMMERCIAL BPL AS INFORMATION SERVICE

摘要

The FCC is expected to designate BPL an information service like DSL and cable, at its open meeting Fri., industry officials said. With the Commission issuing final BPL rules in Aug., BPL classification was the last federal issue for the industry, they said. Brett Kilbourne, regulatory dir. of the United Power Line Council, which had sought a declaratory ruling on the issue, said the FCC decision was important for the industry because it will 揷reate a level playing field?and remove any existing doubts in risk-averse utilities. The FCC decision will clarify that BPL-delivered broadband service will be treated like cable and DSL, said Jay Birnbaum, gen. counsel of Current Communications. There were no significant objections to the industry petition in comments filed with the FCC, he said.nnMeanwhile, 2 groups working on BPL standards for emission measurements and hardware and installation have drafted standards, said Kilbourne, who heads the IEEE BPL Study Group. But a key standard-setting group on coexistence and interoperability is facing delays, he said. Makers of DS-2, HomePlug and other entrenched technologies are angling for maximum advantage as the group reaches the 搑equirements?stage, said Current Technologies Vp Jim Mollenkopf, who recently resigned as co-chmn. of the group. At the last meeting of the coexistence group, there was 搒ome wrangling?over whether a proposal should be voted out, said Kilbourne, and 搕hey threw a monkey wrench into that thing.?The group, whose goal is getting out standards before 2008, is trying to reach the target by accelerating the frequency of its meetings, he said, but 揑 don抰 know if they got a resolution yet.?/font>