Chris, I don't know about shooting himself in the foot, again, but it certainly seems he is willing to jump from the frying pan into at least another frying pan on a similar hot stove. Tnx. Jim Weaver, K8JE Director, Great Lakes Division ARRL 5065 Bethany Rd., Mason, OH 45040 Tel.: 513-459-0142; E-mail: k8je@arrl.org ARRL: The reason Amateur Radio Is! MEMBERS: The reason ARRL Is! -----Original Message----- From: W3KD@aol.com [mailto:W3KD@aol.com] Sent: Saturday, July 10, 2004 8:16 AM To: arrl-odv Subject: [ARRL-ODV:10878] Re: Meetings at FCC on BPL In a message dated 7/9/2004 4:02:23 PM Eastern Standard Time, K8JE@arrl.org writes: The article outlined how FCC had brokered a fix between Nextel and the public service agencies to avoid interference to these agencies. My take is that even though this situation specifically involved readily identifiable and continuing interference with police and fire communication, it has already taken five years for FCC to get this far and the problem has not yet been corrected. Is this gross lack of speedy action by the Commission anything we can put in our hip pockets and use when warranted? Jim, while that is a complex matter that has taken a long time to fix, there is an interesting angle that we have alluded to and will continue to use; The Commission has had a horrible time dealing with the 800 MHz Nextel interference to public safety issue. The problem there was that the rules created for different land mobile architecture didn't fit the metamorphosis from high-site land mobile (SMR) architecture, which was basically LTR trunked technology, to low-site cellular architecture when Nextel bought up all the SMR companies and channels. Here, we have firmly established low-band VHF mobile technology still heavily supported by the land mobile manufacturers and used actively by public safety entities, including police and fire. Why would the FCC, which has just finished a proceeding which got them out of a horrible interference problem jeopardizing First Responders, want to now create a situation where those same First Responders, police and firefighters, who happen to use low band VHF technology, are going to be interfered with by BPL systems? What about Native American tribal police, which use low band VHF throughout the West in remote areas? Isn't Powell just shooting himself in the foot AGAIN? Good argument, Jim. Chris