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Dec 2, 2008 04:40 PM | 16
Free, broadband Internet service could become available across the country if the government okays a proposal to open up unused public airwaves to bidders.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is set to vote Dec. 18 on whether to auction off the so-called AWS-3 spectrum, an unused chunk of airwaves. The winner would have to agree to use at least 25 percent of the spectrum to build a free, national broadband network (one free of porn, too, for anyone except for "adults" who click online agreements claiming to be 18 or older), but could charge a fee for faster service on the remainder. The network would reach 95 percent of the U.S. population, especially those in rural areas where broadband is less accessible, according to FCC spokesperson Rob Kenny.
The plan was originally floated two years ago by Menlo Park, Calif., wireless startup M2Z Networks. A version of the proposal is backed by FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, who has come under fire for the country's declining ranking in broadband availability compared with other nations, the Washington Post notes. (Critics blame that on a lack of competition in the U.S. wireless industry.) Kenny says the free network would provide basic broadband, which runs at about the same speed as DSL.
"This initiative brings with it the promise of free basic broadband service to hundreds of thousands of Americans who currently have limited or no access to the high-speed Internet," Martin told the Post. "It is important that we find new and creative ways to make broadband services more accessible, reliable and robust throughout our nation and this initiative will help us meet that goal."
T-Mobile has spoken out against the plan, as has the industry's Wireless Association, arguing that use of the spectrum would interfere with cell phone service and is a bad business model. Some free-speech advocates dislike its no-porn provision.
Broadband allows users to send and receive video and other large files. As ScientificAmerican.com tech editor Larry Greenemeier notes, "TV networks can't offer their shows to people via the Web, YouTube is much less popular because the video doesn't stream evenly, video conferencing is still pretty useless, and real-time chat/Twitter/etc. isn't so real-time" when it's not carried over a braodband network.
Image by iStockphoto/René Mansi
Tags:
cell phone,
Internet,
broadband,
FCC,
wireless
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16 Comments
Add Commentdear God in heaven yes! I would love to be able to not worry about fees and rates! This would be a great and wonderful thing! Who gives a flyin' rats butt about what the perverts want?!? They can buy a magazine! Who cares about cell phone addicts!?! I don't have a cell phone, and I do just fine. When I am out and about, I am more concerned with personal safety than talking on the phone. Why do you need a cellphone except to check on your kids? If you are have an accident and are incapacitated, that cellphone is pretty useless. get onstar for your car, and MagicJack for home phone. It's only 20 bucks a year for local, long-distance, call waiting etc., and If you get free internet, think of the money you will save! MONEY!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisVery neat. Lets see if they vote in favor of the people, or big business.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGuess they'd have to finally lock down what constitutes porn... maybe they can follow that up with what constitutes art... or "obscene"... hahaha.
Hahaha, peanut butter... Welcome to the 1980s. Porn isn't just for perverts anymore. In fact, peoples interest in sexuality is a large part of what economically has driven the majority of consumer electronics for the last 30 years.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisInteresting though, your gleeful exclamation of "MONEY!". Perhaps your own values are not as noble as you let on.
That's MR pervert thank you very much.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt's not that I'm opposed at all to free bandwidth but I was unable to find anywhere including M2z's offical filings with the FCC some the following things:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat is the method of controlling access to the 25% if it become oversubscribed?
What is the privacy policy of data carried on the network? (hopefully the answer would be "conforming to other ISPs")
What is the business model? (I sort of understand that giving away bandwidth would be a way to get meny vendors to implement the bandwidth onto new devices quickly but then what?)
Is this "fixed" radio internet or "mobile" radio internet?
Again I'm all for free things but color me suspicous.
I do look gift horses in the mouth.
Hey, why not "free" water too, after all everyone needs water to live, while we're at it, why not free shoes, everyone needs to walk, "free" electricity, "free" coal, "free" heating oil, can't have people getting cold now can we? I see, we just need to give th government all our money, and they will give us everything for "free" .. How have all of those "free metro wifi" plays been going? Think!. Soon the DMV will be not only issuing your drivers license, they will be doing all of the warranty work on your new government backed car....
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMartin can pander to the new administration with these kind ideas to try and save his appointed position, but all this is going to do is hurt thousands of small wireless broadband provider businesses(and the thousands of employees that make up those small businesses), that have been working hard to bring connectivity to rural America all along.
If I were Verizon or AT&T (the companies who purchased the majority of the AWS spectrum already) I'd wait for M2Z and their flawed business model to go into dept, get the spectrum, and fail and then I'd the remaining spectrum. That way Verizon or AT&T gets the spectrum anyway.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOh wait, in the "new world" we can just go to Congress and get bailed out of any failures.
I'll write my vote for "yest" to my congressperson and FCC, since we and neighbors have been frustated for years about our county (Isle of Wight VA) granting monopoly cable and phone line to service companies, supposedly in return for services being provided to all, when we can still get only twisted pair phone service (for slow modem) and no cable down our 1-mile private farm road that serves about a dozen homes. We use wireless PC cards on our computers, but still no TV access other than satellite, and no internet access other than phone-line-modem or cell-phone PC card.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisO.K. so the option here is so tantalizing the only thing I wonder is if it will be pushed through while the proposal is still philanthropy , and before it becomes grappled by the industrial sect of our society. There is potential here for a WORLDWIDE landmark president of governmental evolution. I have little faith in our government to do something so selfless but I would be pleased as punch to be wrong on this one.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWORLDWIDE client base in the cell phone sector. Tremendous opportunity to get in the stock now. Check out how big the opportunity is at www.icoft.com/roke.html
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHow do you compete with "FREE"?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisEh? Comcost and at&t (the lessor) will have to react now.
tis is a no brainer we must have it for salvation of abuse the cellular industry as beat us up with and potential cable tv via the internet should also happen. Its not a matter of bad news for the cellular industry, just think of every 400+ dollar phone bill you have received from a cellular carrier, its just rewards for them, lets roll and may voip raine forever.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisfree speech for all
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisis there a pitition I could sign to encourage this fcc ruling to pass?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisthe initial forum of the internet was to be free for everyone and so let it be. we don't need no isp's raping us anymore.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBS this is a bad example of free enterprise, we need free speech and this will provide it, ad we have depended on companies like you to provide us country folk with these services and you never did whats it to you, you never capitalized on it we never was offered services by you. So cry in your pillow I don't want to hear it.
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