FCC Expected to Classify BPL as an “Information Service”

5:30 am on November 3, 2006 | Category: Internet, Regulation, Telecom Services

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The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is expected to clarify its regulatory stance on BPL (Broadband over Power Lines) high-speed internet services at its monthly meeting later today.

Regulators are planning to vote on how the emerging technology will be classified. Most analysts are expecting BPL, which allows data to be transmitted over normal power lines, to be categorized as an “interstate information service,” as opposed to a “telecommunications service.”

If this is the case, BPL will be on a level playing field with cable modem and DSL offerings, which were reclassified into the “information” category last year. By avoiding the title of a “telecommunications” technology, BPL will avoid much of the excessive regulation imposed on the telephone industry, and gain the opportunity to compete fairly as a viable “third party” alternative to DSL and cable.

Over the past couple of years, the FCC has emerged as a big supporter of BPL technology, hoping pave the way for a new ISPs capable of increasing market competition and bringing broadband service to rural areas.

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    Published by TeleClick Enterprises
    Edited by Jeremy Maddock