ACMA requested to investigate BPL interference

The extremely high level of interference experienced by Australian radio amateur Ian Paul VK3FIOP at Mt Beauty in north-east Victoria is now the subject of a written complaint to the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

He has exercised his right as the holder of an apparatus licence to lodge a formal written complaint to ACMA about the interference.

Ian has a firm ground for doing so. The interference was confirmed as BPL, its source known and substantial and harmful impact to this licensed amateur service communications well documented.

The latest is that the BPL system operated by SP AusNet radiates 60dB over S9 signal emissions over the entire 3.5 MHz to 30 MHz spectrum.

Ian VK3FIOP appears to be the first VK radio amateur to actually lodge a formal complaint of interference to ACMA.

The amateur service, being a licensed radiocommunications service, is protected from substantial interference under sections of the Radiocommunications Act.

ACMA is the Authority responsible for administrating the provisions of the Act and is required to investigate cases of interference when they are reported.

Without complaints, BPL operators may be able to claim that the technology is not cited in any formal way to have caused interference to radiocommunications.

It is vitally important that any radio amateur affected by BPL interference first verify that the interference is in fact caused by a BPL system, and secondly lodge an effective interference complaint with ACMA.

Without a valid and effective interference complaint lodged with ACMA little can be done.

The WIA provides a BPL interference advisory service to all radio amateurs - whether they are WIA members and non-members.

Check out http://www.wia.org.au click BPL

Jim Linton VK3PC

Source: Wireless Institute of Australia

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