NEWS: FCC approves use of "white space" spectrum

<http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2008/tc2008115_197440.htms>

FCC Opens New Airwaves to the Public

Regulators, siding with techs like Google and Microsoft,
rule that "white space" freed up by digital TV is best used for
high-speed wireless hot spots

While the country was picking its next President on Nov. 4, the
Federal Communications Commission federal communications commission
was making its own momentous decision. The country's top
communications regulator unanimously voted to free up the biggest
ever swath of airwaves to be used by the public for cheap high-speed
wireless Internet access.

The vote came after more than six years of public scrutiny and
decides the fate of airwaves that will be made available when
television broadcasts switch over to digital signals from analog in
February. A broad coalition of opponents, including lawmakers,
musicians, and broadcasters, argued that free public use of the
airwaves would interfere with TV broadcasts and wireless microphones.
...

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and fellow commissioners unanimously sided
with tech giants Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Dell (DELL), and
Philips Electronics North America (PHG) in ruling that Americans
would be better served if the spectrum were made available for free
public use. ...

Whole-Neighborhood Hotspots

The new airwaves, known as white spaces, could be used to create
wireless hot spots akin to those created by Wi-Fi technology that let
users communicate wirelessly within homes and throughout
neighborhoods. But unlike Wi-Fi zones, these airwaves will enable
faster downloads of large data files, such as video clips and
feature-length films, over larger distances and at a lower cost. ...

The spectrum's ability to transmit data and calls at long distances
and through walls would allow cheap community broadband networks to
cover city neighborhoods and even entire towns, bypassing and
creating added competition with traditional providers of
telecommunication services, such as Comcast (CMCSA), Verizon
Communications (VZ), and AT&T (T). Motorola expects to cover 15
square miles with one access point using this spectrum and WiMax-like
technology, which is currently used only on licensed spectrum. The
setup would allow a new breed of carrier to rise up and provide
wireless broadband in rural areas without having to dole out millions
of dollars on spectrum. Motorola hopes to have new gear that works in
white spaces within a year.

...

Opponents will try to reverse the FCC's decision once the new
President comes into power. ...

[MORE]

In article <e8l3h4hpi2heci1pnvds9ei53vc46pnir0@4ax.com>,
John Navas <spamfilter1@navasgroup.com> wrote:

> <http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2008/tc2008115_197440.htms>
>
> FCC Opens New Airwaves to the Public
>
> Regulators, siding with techs like Google and Microsoft,
> rule that "white space" freed up by digital TV is best used for
> high-speed wireless hot spots
Are they going to sell the spectrum as in cell phones or is this more
of a passive allocation as current WiFi, Family Radio Service, etc.

Kurt Ullman wrote:
>
> Are they going to sell the spectrum as in cell phones or is this more
> of a passive allocation as current WiFi, Family Radio Service, etc.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publi...C-286566A1.pdf
"The rules adopted today will allow for the use of these new and
innovative types of unlicensed devices in the unused spectrum to provide
broadband data and other services for consumers and businesses."

If you really want to wade through the "Wireless Innovation Alliance",
who have been pushing this, fact sheets they are at:
<http://www.wirelessinnovationalliance.org/index.cfm?objectid=A26E22FE-F1F6-6035-B03FDB17C05DF096#factsheets>

Oops! Correct URL is
<http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2008/tc2008115_197440.htm>


On Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:23:19 -0800, John Navas
<spamfilter1@navasgroup.com> wrote in
<e8l3h4hpi2heci1pnvds9ei53vc46pnir0@4ax.com>:

><http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2008/tc2008115_197440.htms>
>
>FCC Opens New Airwaves to the Public
>
>Regulators, siding with techs like Google and Microsoft,
>rule that "white space" freed up by digital TV is best used for
>high-speed wireless hot spots
>
> While the country was picking its next President on Nov. 4, the
> Federal Communications Commission federal communications commission
> was making its own momentous decision. The country's top
> communications regulator unanimously voted to free up the biggest
> ever swath of airwaves to be used by the public for cheap high-speed
> wireless Internet access.
>
> The vote came after more than six years of public scrutiny and
> decides the fate of airwaves that will be made available when
> television broadcasts switch over to digital signals from analog in
> February. A broad coalition of opponents, including lawmakers,
> musicians, and broadcasters, argued that free public use of the
> airwaves would interfere with TV broadcasts and wireless microphones.
> ...
>
> FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and fellow commissioners unanimously sided
> with tech giants Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Dell (DELL), and
> Philips Electronics North America (PHG) in ruling that Americans
> would be better served if the spectrum were made available for free
> public use. ...
>
> Whole-Neighborhood Hotspots
>
> The new airwaves, known as white spaces, could be used to create
> wireless hot spots akin to those created by Wi-Fi technology that let
> users communicate wirelessly within homes and throughout
> neighborhoods. But unlike Wi-Fi zones, these airwaves will enable
> faster downloads of large data files, such as video clips and
> feature-length films, over larger distances and at a lower cost. ...
>
> The spectrum's ability to transmit data and calls at long distances
> and through walls would allow cheap community broadband networks to
> cover city neighborhoods and even entire towns, bypassing and
> creating added competition with traditional providers of
> telecommunication services, such as Comcast (CMCSA), Verizon
> Communications (VZ), and AT&T (T). Motorola expects to cover 15
> square miles with one access point using this spectrum and WiMax-like
> technology, which is currently used only on licensed spectrum. The
> setup would allow a new breed of carrier to rise up and provide
> wireless broadband in rural areas without having to dole out millions
> of dollars on spectrum. Motorola hopes to have new gear that works in
> white spaces within a year.
>
> ...
>
> Opponents will try to reverse the FCC's decision once the new
> President comes into power. ...
>
> [MORE]

On Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:29:13 -0500, Kurt Ullman <kurtullman@yahoo.com>
wrote in
<kurtullman-0EB912.12291305112008@70-3-168-216.area5.spcsdns.net>:

>In article <e8l3h4hpi2heci1pnvds9ei53vc46pnir0@4ax.com>,
> John Navas <spamfilter1@navasgroup.com> wrote:
>
>> <http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2008/tc2008115_197440.htms>
>>
>> FCC Opens New Airwaves to the Public
>>
>> Regulators, siding with techs like Google and Microsoft,
>> rule that "white space" freed up by digital TV is best used for
>> high-speed wireless hot spots

> Are they going to sell the spectrum as in cell phones or is this more
>of a passive allocation as current WiFi, Family Radio Service, etc.

The proposal is for *unlicensed* use (like Wi-Fi) -- see
<http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/31687/>
<http://www.rcrwireless.com/article/20081104/WIRELESS/811049952/1103/fcc-approves-vzw-alltel-sprint-clearwire-unlicensed-use-of-tv-white>
--
Best regards,
John Navas <http:/navasgroup.com>

Look what the cat dragged in - John Navas:

<snip>

> [MORE]

It's called "Spin".


--
2GB RAM should be enough for anyone.

On Nov 5, 7:39*pm, Axel Hammerschmidt <hl...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Look what the cat dragged in -

Why is it that I associate "Hammer" with ugliness?

He doesn't show up much here, but I remember that feeling.

>It's called "Spin".

Must be a private conversation between him and John.

On 05/11/2008 17:59, LR wrote:
> Kurt Ullman wrote:
>>
>> Are they going to sell the spectrum as in cell phones or is this more
>> of a passive allocation as current WiFi, Family Radio Service, etc.
> http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publi...C-286566A1.pdf
> "The rules adopted today will allow for the use of these new and
> innovative types of unlicensed devices in the unused spectrum to provide
> broadband data and other services for consumers and businesses."
>
> If you really want to wade through the "Wireless Innovation Alliance",
> who have been pushing this, fact sheets they are at:
> <http://www.wirelessinnovationalliance.org/index.cfm?objectid=A26E22FE-F1F6-6035-B03FDB17C05DF096#factsheets>
>
The FCC have published some rules for the use of this spectrum:-
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-08-260A1.pdf>