BPL - The Threat Is Real And Your Help Is Needed! (August 7, 2003)
If you have been reading the main ARRL web site you have seen a lot of information on BPL (Broadband over Power Line) technology. This is widely believed to be the most serious threat on the Amateur Radio spectrum ever. If you have not heard the news about BPL, please go to http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/08/08/2/?nc=1 and read more about it.
If you're ready to get involved, Tim Lewallen, KD5ING, Public Information Officer of the Nacogdoches ARC, has prepared a sample letter that you can use to send to your Government representatives. He has also prepared a list of Internet resources that you can use to locate Government representatives that you might want to target with a letter writing campaign. Here is the letter that Tim created:
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<Recipient's Name>
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share a concern with you.
As you may know, The Amateur Radio Service is a great asset to the United States of America. Better known as "hams", members of The Amateur Radio Service are licensed by the Federal Communications Commission and required to advance radio science, foster good will and most importantly, serve the community in times of need by supplying secondary and sometimes the primary means of communication to local, state and Federal agencies.
Ham radio operators volunteer their own time and equipment to serve the country at no cost to the tax-payer and provide critical services to hospitals, emergency operations centers and national agencies like FEMA, NASA, the Armed Services and the National Weather Service just to name a few. The amateur radio community stands ready to assist the nation when called on. Unfortunately, that readiness and ability are being threatened by an initiative currently before the FCC.
Broadband over Powerline (BPL) is a technology that allows high-speed internet service to be distributed through existing electrical power lines by transmitting that information using high-frequency electrical signals. The frequencies that are being proposed for this application are the exact same frequencies used by The Amateur Radio Service as well as the Armed Forces, broadcast television and the radio systems used by some public
service agencies such as fire, police and public works.
If this technology is approved for use by the FCC (proceeding #03-104), it would not be an exaggeration to say that The Amateur Radio Service would cease to function as it does today. The service provided to the community by hams would be severely hampered due to the interference from this technology. Long distance radio communication would be essentially impossible.
As you can see, this poses a major threat not only to the amateur radio community but the community in general.
Recently The Department of Homeland Security recognized The Amateur Radio Service as an affiliate member of The Citizen Corps as well as providing funding for certification training in Emergency Communication. With endorsements like this it is hard to believe that The Amateur Radio Service is in danger of being crippled to such a degree.
I am asking for your help in this matter in the hopes that your efforts can prevent this technology from being approved by the FCC.
Please visit http://www.arrl.org for additional information on this issue.
If I can be of any assistance or if I can provide any additional information, please let me know.
Respectfully,
<Sender's Name>
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And here is the list of Internet resources that can be used to locate Government representatives:
White House
https://sawho14.eop.gov/PERSdata/intro.htm
US Senate
http://www.senate.gov/ - just find your state in the pull down menu
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
http://commerce.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
http://energy.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm
US House of Representatives
http://www.house.gov/ - Just enter your Zip code in the form at the top
Select House Committee on Homeland Security
http://hsc.house.gov/contact.cfm
House Committee on Energy and Commerce
http://energycommerce.house.gov/107/feedback.htm
House Committee on Science
http://www.house.gov/science/contact/index.htm
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
http://www.house.gov/transportation/organization.html
Department of Homeland Security
http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/contactus
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Mailing Addresses - http://www.fema.gov/about/addresses.shtm
Regional Offices - http://www.fema.gov/regions/
Federal Bureau of Investigation
http://www.fbi.gov/contactus.htm
National Weather Service
http://weather.gov/feedback.php
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
http://www.nasa.gov/about/contact/index.html
State Government-
Governor Perry
http://www.governor.state.tx.us/contact
Texas Senate
http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/Senate/Members.htm#FYI
Texas House of Representatives
http://www.house.state.tx.us/search/welcome.htm
Texas Department of Public Safety
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/contact.htm - Try the email address for Texas
Law Enforcement Telecommunications System
Texas Department of Public Safety - Division of Emergency Management
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/demstaff.htm - Try State Coordinator Jack
Colley, Asst. State Coordinator Steve Vaughn and Public Information Officer
Mary Lenz
