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“Just as broadband-ready smartphones could hardly be imagined in 1938, when the F.C.C. first approved the use of unlicensed radio waves, or even in 1985, when it issued the rules that led to Wi-Fi, the eventual consumer products that will use the new airwaves are all but unknown,” Wyatt reports. “‘I’m absolutely confident that there will be a huge range of applications that we cannot yet predict,’ said Dan Reed, corporate vice president for technology policy and strategy at Microsoft, which, alongside Google and Dell, has pushed hard for the F.C.C. to approve the new rules.”
Wyatt reports, “The unused bands of spectrum were generated by the conversion of television signals from analog to digital… The new airwaves are particularly attractive because television signals are low-frequency waves, meaning they can travel farther, go more easily through walls, trees and other obstructions, and provide more reliable connections… The F.C.C. is virtually certain to approve the new rules at its Sept. 23 meeting, because it already has approved a similar set of rules, in November 2008. Those rules have never been in effect, however, because both supporters and opponents of the concept objected to some of the details.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Betcha Steve Jobs has some ideas for uses of that spectrum should the new rules be approved.
A lot of people call [iPod touch] an iPhone without the phone. It’s also an iPhone without a contract. – Apple CEO Steve Jobs, September 01, 2010
[Attribution: Times of the Internet. Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “cj” for the heads up.]
Please put the telcos out of their misery.
@SweetLordYes!
I think you meant “Please put the telcos out of our misery.”
free internet for everyone! make it so.
If that would enable longer-distance ISP connections, like to people whose only choice for internet connection is Satellite or dial-up, that would be pretty fantastic. Suppose that shook up everything, from Comcast, all the wired network connections, to television networks and telephone networks, we may be in for a world of change.
At the least, it’d be great to have a better choice than latency-nightmare Satellite or low-speed dial-up for those of us in remote areas.
@Kevin J. Weise
I’m just think it’s the humane thing to do. Just look at all the trouble they’re having just staying alive. ATT couldn’t get mms to work, then it was trouble with tethering. They’re struggling with data of all kinds that they need to take away unlimited data plans. Android stepped in with life-support to keep the old birds alive but that was just cruelty in the face of the painful drawn-out death that awaits them. At least with this new wifi on steroids they’ll be spared the pain and anguish that awaits. Really it’s quite humane in my opinion.
loganson,
There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
Good, we need more competition.
FaceTime face-off with the telcos!
“I’m absolutely confident that there will be a huge range of applications that we cannot yet predict.”
Dan Reed, Corporate Vice President for Technology Policy and Strategy, Microsoft.
Translation:
“I haven’t got a fscking clue what this all means, we’re going to wait to see what Apple comes up with and copy it, badly.”
I betcha Steve Jobs and the Apple’ research team are already testing devices out in that $150 million dollar antenna lab.
ADC: Analog to Digital Conversion
As was the analog TV needing a roof top antenna to get the best reception, this new rule if enacted will spur new jobs for technicians installing/maintaining hardware for our homes and businesses! Oh yea, there will be new Apps and software inside to convert the analog inputs. What an exciting time to be in this field to work the next decade!
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Apple will benefit 4 sure
Buy AAPL stocks!
2010 = $301
2011 = $401
Nationwide wireless – yes! For reasonable fees with limited restrictions – yes! A larger wireless footprint that mimics what we currently have via landlines – No!
For those that think this means the end of Telco’s, guess again. Who do you think will be bidding for all this spectrum?
if the coverage expands so much, then what does this do to 2-way communications?
If “they” are going to tax us, I wish “they” would stop patching roads and start building a digital highway…
“‘I’m absolutely confident that there will be a huge range of applications that we cannot yet predict,’ said Dan Reed, corporate vice president for technology policy and strategy at Microsoft”
What he meant to say was “we’ll know what to do with these new airwaves once Apple announce a new product and our photocopiers have warmed up…
Please God, make Apple buy some of this new spectrum!.
@Ron Robertson
Like you, I live in the boondocks miles from the nearest DSL or cable connection. I keep waiting for the magic bullet that will allow The Rest of Us to have true broadband without the latency of satellite and with better speeds than my current WiMax service. I hope this one is it, and I hope it comes soon!
AppleTV, Hulu and all the others are useless when you have a subpar (but more expensive) connection.
No, it’s not the panacea that some would hope.
It may be usable for fixed wireless in some areas, but only if the spectrum isn’t too crowded.
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/IT-Infrastructure/FCC-White-Space-Plan-Isnt-Exactly-WiFi-on-Steroids-253860/
As soon as this interferes with any local broadcast, the entire system will be in jeopardy, so expect a slow and tedious buildout to make sure this stuff works.
One of my jobs is to receive off-air signals for use in distant cable distribution. The further you are from the main transmitters, the more chance you have for multipath (like the old ‘co-channel’). This wreaks havoc on reception, so the power levels will have to be low.
William Gibson’s vision of cyberspace will eventually happen; one will be able to “jack in” from anywhere.
CRG,
Exactly!