San Fran once again leads the country in STUPIDITY

Calif. agency OKs broadband via power lines test

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The California Public Utilities Commission approved a plan on Thursday allowing providers of high-speed Internet services to test using electricity lines to deliver online access throughout the state.
CPUC commissioner Rachelle Chong, who drafted the plan, said broadband over power lines, or BPL, could become a new competitor to Internet services delivered via telephone, cable and satellites and help reduce prices for consumers.
BPL uses existing utility lines delivering power to neighborhoods to carry broadband signals into homes.
It has been touted by equipment makers and regulators as a possible competitor to cable and telecommunications services, which handle almost all of the roughly 40 million U.S. residential broadband connections.
The regulatory commission adopted guidelines for electric utilities and companies that wish to develop and test projects in California.
Among the guidelines, electric utility affiliates and other developers can invest in and operate BPL systems.
Utility affiliates would have to follow CPUC rules for transactions between a utility and a BPL affiliate to protect against cross-subsidies, the commission said.

Broadband over power lines has 1 MAJOR Problem, the bleedthrough from sending the signal over power lines without shielding DESTROYS shortwave communications. Now I know the are not a lot of shortwave radio people in the general public. Most people are to ignorant to understand the important role that shortwave radio plays in our society. That especially includes the Congress that has been playing with this idea for years. So lets ignore the civilians for now and look at the issue from this perspective. If this is allowed to go through and be implemented nation wide which is the goal by the way. It will be sold as everybody can have highspeed internet just by plugging into any outlet in your your house HURRAH. Except what they don't tell you is the cost, the hidden cost. Every police, fire, and ambulance service in the country uses shortwave. All of their communication systems cease to function. Who do you think is going to pay for changing those communication systems to satellite based systems? or the other alternative a complete rewiring of the nations powergrid with shielded lines coast to coast. Gee I guess that wouldn't cost much, would it. Since those are PUBLIC UTILITIES you don't think they will raise our taxes to pay for this do ya? Just a little food for thought on a subject that is being slipped under the public radar.