"If a new technology for cooking or reheating food was invented but then discovered that it wiped out TV reception for 500 metres, would the government allow it to be manufactured and sold? This scenario is currently being played out with radio. . ."

Sensationalist headline? Not really. Although I grant, you cannot cook your dinner with a PLT adapter, it does provide a critical function to British Telecom’s "BT Vision" product (broadband TV)and so there is a tenuous link. . .

But it's time to stop joking and get to the point. Powerline Telecommunication’s adapters, of the variety used to distribute TV, broadband, AV and PC networking around the home have a hidden sinister capability which ruins lives.

PLT (PowerLine Technology), also called PLC (PowerLine Communications), BPL (Broadband over Powerline) and PLA (PowerLine Access), uses electronic modules that plug into standard mains sockets to send broadband digital signals over the electrical power wiring in a house.

The Shortwave band, commonly connected with Radio Amateurs (Radio Hams) is a unique resource, universally recognised by governments in every country of the world. To this end the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) was born. By international agreement, this organisation 'over-sees' the radio spectrum to ensure a mutually beneficial use of the spectrum for all who need it.

However, in recent years the PLT technology has come to the fore, thrust into the limelight by oversubscribed Wi-Fi channels in dense population areas and the need or desire to transport Audio Visual content around the home and establish stable PC networks.

PLT as a technology relies on the use of radio signal being transported over the electrical power wiring of your home or office and terminates in small plug-sized adapters. The cable universally used for electrical wiring was designed to transport one thing only - electricity. By placing radio signals on these cables, the energy simply sees a network of wire which looks like an aerial and a significant proportion of the energy radiates in the form of radio waves. The frequencies used by PLT happen to be the same frequencies used by a multitude of radio services but the interference generated affects Shortwave broadcasting in particular, with amateur radio coming a close second.

Despite this fact, it is not only the users of these services who are complaining about the interference. The Electromagnetic Compatibility Industry Association (EMCIA), formed in March 2002 for the benefit of companies involved in the supply, design, test or manufacture of EMC products, or the provision of EMC Services and is a UKTI Accredited Trade Organisation, submitted a stern report to the Parliamentary Committee overseeing a broadband review, stating that they "..very strongly recommend that the Committee specifically excludes the use of PowerLine Telecommunication (PLT*)..."

This issue has so concerned the top Electromagnetic Compatibility experts that on August 27th 2009, a number of leading experts and organisations met in London to discuss the non-compliance of products with the EMC Directive, and in particular issues associated with ‘Greedy PLT.’

The cause of this meeting was the non-compliance of certain PLT products, that use excessive radio-frequency emissions to obtain high data rates, interfering with radio reception and other equipment (e.g. slowing broadband speeds). The term “Greedy PLT” was coined to describe these products. The Group agreed that their overall aim was:

To get all products that do not conform to the appropriate CISPR limits either removed from the global market, removed from use, or modified to comply.

Specific actions are being taken by the Summit PLT Group, some of which may be the subject of future press releases.

So why doesn’t the communications regulator Ofcom take action? To date their position is that “there is no significant public hard arising” and have chosen to ignore the enormous volume of evidence that PLT does not conform to current UK or European legislation.

There is a public action group named UKQRM which was founded by Mike Trodd when one of his neighbours installed BT Vision and completely decimated his ability to hear Shortwave broadcasts.

Finally there follows a video from Mike Trodd, the founder of UKQRM demonstrating the effects of the PLT interference which is being observed by countless thousands around the country. Following the instigation of this group, the number of complaints to Ofcom began to rise sharply when people realised (a) what the interference was and (b) that they had the power to do something about it.