[SEL] Fw: Broadband and the town of Manas ,Virginia,USA, a bit OT

Paul Pavlinovich pjp at steamengine.com.au
Fri Aug 26 20:19:07 PDT 2005


Hi Tom - I've worked on RF projects several times in my working 
lifetime, and honestly - where did you get your information on broadband?

For a start "broadband" is a very general category and covers hundreds 
of different transmission methods from copper based land lines, through 
radio, microwave, satellite and other mechanisms.

You sound like the kind of person who does not have a microwave in their 
house because of the radiation it gives off (less than the power wires 
within your walls for those of you that are wondering!).

The wireless methods (802.11g, 900MHz spread spectrum, and 2.4GHz spread 
spectrum) are the only methods likely to interfere with other RF users 
and they're carefully set up so that if they did interfere it would be 
minimal - this is ensured by the 1 watt transmission power of base 
stations - this only carries about 300' reliably! Even if every single 
house installed it it would be no different to every house having a 
digital cordless phone which happen to use the same frequences plus a 
couple of others.

The satellite based methods bathe most of the planet in the same 
microwave transmissions used by cable TV and plain old concentrated 
communications. Broadband via Satellite is just another concentrated 
digital packet transmission - it just happens to be a little more 
personally addressed but it is still blanketted to everyone in that 
satellites footprint.

None of the broadband methods I've encountered will interfere in 
emergency communications in any way. It is a bit like using a mobile 
phone at a fuel station - it will NOT set fire to your car :)... Urban 
legends, what would we talk about around the beer circle without them!

Paul

Tom Smith wrote:
> You need to look closely before you make a decision on broadband 
> communication. It appears to be cheap but as in most things there is no 
> free ride.
> 
> The only downside is the potential for RF interference of others users 
> of the spectrum. The frequencies used on these systems can and probably 
> will cause interference to emergency services, amateur radio, and other 
> commercial users that are on the primary and harmonics of the 
> frequencies used by the broadband network. Once broadband is 
> established, there is no way to shut it off in the middle of a natural 
> or manmade disaster when the lack of health and welfare communications 
> is deadly.
> 
> The US has several pilot broadband projects that have had very negative 
> effects on wireless communication. Interference on a average day is just 
> a nuisance but can have a very negative impact on life and property in a 
> natural disaster when you can't get health and welfare requests 
> communicated. There is a better way than jeopardizing our lives in 
> disasters that seem to be occuring freqently.
> 
> Be careful.
> 
> 
> 
> On Fri, 26 Aug 2005 19:43:11 +0800
>  "peter ogborne" <jopeter at omninet.net.au> wrote:
> 
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "peter ogborne" 
>> <jopeter at omninet.net.au>
>> To: <sel at lists.stationary-engine.com>
>> Sent: Friday, August 26, 2005 7:11 AM
>> Subject: Fw: Broadband and the town of Manas ,Virginia,USA, a bit OT
>>
>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "peter ogborne" 
>>> <jopeter at omninet.net.au>
>>> To: <sel at lists.stationary-engine.com>
>>> Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2005 8:22 AM
>>> Subject: Broadband and the town of Manas ,Virginia,USA, a bit OT
>>>
>>>
>>>> I recently heard a report how the town of Manas [maybe incorrect 
>>>> spelling] in Virginia were testing a system of Broadband internet 
>>>> connection via the power grid. To all accounts it was successful. 
>>>> This would have great implications for our Australian Telstra as 
>>>> their copper system would not be needed. Most Australian towns are 
>>>> connected to the power grid ,so the inferstructure is already 
>>>> installed. If it is a goer then watch out Telstra shares!
>>>> Maybe someone in the US knows about the Manas system .
>>>> PS I know there is a Manasa [ The Manasa Mauler] Jack Dempsey or Was 
>>>> it Gene Tunney?
>>>> Peter Ogborne
>>>> Little Grove ,Albany
>>>> West Australia
>>>> ''Heart of the Rainbow Coast ''
>>>> jopeter at omninet.net.au
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
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> 
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-- 

pjp at steamengine.com.au
Emerald, Victoria, Australia
www.steamengine.com.au


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