All data is transferred via an encrypted (https secure) session. This comment system uses submitted IP, email and website address data to spot abuse and spammers. Only the submitted name and comment will be displayed in public, while the rest will be kept private (we will never share this outside of ISPreview, regardless of whether the data is real or fake). By clicking to submit a post you agree to storing your comment content, display name, IP, email and / or website details in our database, for as long as the post remains live. Privacy Notice: Please note that news comments are anonymous, which means that we do NOT require you to enter any real personal details to post a message. Javascript must be enabled to post (most browsers do this automatically) NOTE: The picture used in this article is a general illustration of a PLA adapter and is not a specific example of bad hardware. It’s hoped the new rules could be introduced by May 2015. Ofcom’s consultation will remain open for responses until 5pm on 16th February 2015 and the regulator intends to publish a statement on the matter by March 2015. The Proposed Regulations will apply in the United Kingdom and will not extend to the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. fines of up to £5,000 or 3 years in prison). In the past Ofcom has struggled to tackle these, but under the new rules they could act if “ we think the apparatus has caused, is causing or is likely to cause undue interference to wireless telegraphy including wireless telegraphy used for the purposes of a safety of life service, or for a purpose on which the safety of a person, or of a ship, aircraft or vehicle may depend.”Īny such notice served upon the owner of such equipment may prohibit the use of the related apparatus, while failure to comply with the notice would be considered a criminal offence under section 58 of the Act (e.g. Over the years we’ve seen a number of examples where apparatus, such as a faulty AC adapter or flashing Christmas tree lights, have caused significant interference for other services and devices (sometimes affecting multiple homes). The 13 Apparatus Responsible for Undue Interference

Funnily enough the Government’s intelligence agency, GCHQ, once similarly warned that PLA kit was “ likely to cause a detrimental affect to part of the core business of this department“. In fact between 20 the regulator said that 13 different types of apparatus were “ found to be causing undue interference“, which Ofcom said “ identified a distinct and important need for intervention“.

Ofcom’s proposed regulations, which are intended to address situations that exist outside of the EU’s related EMC Directive and RTTE Directive, will also tackle more than PLA adapters. Today such hardware is much more compliant with modern standards, but that’s not to say that some manufacturers won’t ship dodgy or even faulty products that could create excessive interference. In a few cases similar kit was also blamed for causing interference with sound systems, DAB/FM radio and even broadband ADSL lines, among other things. We recall some examples of BTVision shipping older Comtrend adapters several years ago, which made some people unhappy. In the main, interference from PLA’s mostly impacted radio hams using the hf short wave bands and tended to be quite localised due to the low power of related devices. But such devices, particularly older or imported models that often didn’t comply as rigidly to EU rules, were also notorious for creating electromagnetic interference for other devices that needed to use nearby wireless radio spectrum. Sometimes WiFi just won’t get the job done and running a network cable around the house might not be viable, which leaves a sizeable niche for Powerline to fill.

Bt powerline adapters youview