This is very interesting. Another link http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/business/8661474.htm?1c
And... posted by tvbarn on May 13, 2004 08:12 PM MEDIA ACCESS PROJECT, NEW AMERICA FOUNDATION PRAISE FCC ACTION OPENING BROADCAST TV BANDS TO WIFI BROADBAND _ POWELL'S LEADERSHIP AND VISION WILL SPUR NEW ERA OF INNOVATION, BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT, AND HELP CLOSE DIGITAL DIVIDE. WASHINGTON, DC - Media Access Project (MAP) and the New America Foundation (NAF) praised the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today for beginning the process to allow widespread use of wireless spectrum in the bands reserved for broadcast television in ways that will not interfere with television viewers receiving their favorite channels. "This action will bring wireless broadband to all Americans," said Harold Feld, Associate Director, Media Access Project. "From poor inner city neighborhoods to rural areas where cable and DSL don't find it profitable to deploy, this empowers citizens to construct the networks they need, available when they want them." Feld cited a case study by NAF showing how communities as diverse as Native American tribes in rural California, halfway houses in New York City, and Appalachian towns have used even the current, less efficient high frequency WiFi to build themselves broadband networks. Often a critic of FCC Chairman Powell for his ownership policies favoring cable and broadcast giants, Feld praised the Chairman for standing up to media lobbyists. "Chairman Powell showed true vision and real leadership today. His action to put more spectrum in the hands of the American people, ushering in a new era of innovation and universal deployment, will stand as his greatest achievement." Jim Snider, Senior Research Fellow at the New America Foundation and author of the "Citizens Guide to the Airwaves, explained why the action will have such a profound effect on the deployment of wireless services. "At these wavelengths, signals travel easily through solid objects, and require far less power to reach their intended receivers. This lets providers build cheap equipment that costs much less to run and goes where you want it to go." Added Snider, "the difference between what this will let you do and what the old rules let you do is like the difference between a horse-drawn carriage and a Mercedes Benz." Feld and Snider dismissed objections by the broadcasters that this action would slow the transition to digital television or interfere with how people watch free, over the air TV today. "How often can the broadcasters cry 'wolf' on DTV?" Asked Feld. "Every year they have a new excuse not to hand back the analog spectrum. If they're so worried about interference, they should switch to digital and get out of the analog broadcasting altogether." Said Snider: "the broadcast bands are grossly underutilized. The average television market has more than 50 empty analog television channel 'slots.' New digital technologies allow broadcasters and citizens to share this empty space with no interference. Given the rules the FCC proposes, no one watching TV will notice any difference."
