Interesting People mailing list archives
Hundt To Senate: Clear 700-800 MHz Spectrum
From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2004 13:37:33 -0400
For those who have heard me talk about this, you will not be surprised by my strong endorsement of Reed's position.
Dave Delivered-To: dfarber+ () ux13 sp cs cmu edu Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2004 09:41:21 -0700 From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne () warpspeed com> Hundt To Senate: Clear 700-800 MHz Spectrum By Mark Rockwell April 28, 2004<http://www.wirelessweek.com/index.asp? layout=newsat2direct&starting=5&pubdate=04/28/04>
WASHINGTON -- Congress could advance broadband acceptance and use in the United States dramatically and immediately through wireless technology without completely re-writing telecom rules, a former FCC chairman told a Senate panel today. Reed Hundt, former commission chairman, told members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation that the commission could vastly facilitate implementation and acceptance of high-speed wireless broadband by simply writing a letter to the FCC asking that the agency re-examine the digital television signal threshold figures that enables television stations to hang onto spectrum in the UHF spectrum for analog broadcast. He also said Congress should ask the FCC to look at secondary use of broadcast spectrum in areas where it is underused and to issue an order asking that unlicensed devices be allowed to operate in television broadcast spectrum at locations and times when the spectrum isn't being used. The commission currently has an inquiry into secondary use in 700 MHz. Hundt, now on the boards of several high tech companies, including Wi-Fi equipment provider Pronto Networks, said those moves would free more desirable spectrum for immediate use of wireless companies looking to provide ultra-high-speed broadband services -- operating at up to 10 Mbps -- not traditional "3G" applications. Hundt backs technology and techniques such as Orthagonal Frequency Division Modulation, beam forming for antenna reception and IP as wireless services that could "deliver the bits" in such spectrum. The former FCC chairman contends that the mandated 85 percent threshold of digital signal penetration that allows broadcasters to keep analog UHF spectrum has been crossed, if only the FCC would correctly count the numbers it already has accumulated. Regulations say broadcasters can hold onto the analog spectrum until 85 percent of the country has access to a digital signal. Hundt said that goal has been largely accomplished and the relatively small number of citizens who don't have the ability to access the signal and can't afford a digital device could easily be subsidized in the purchase of "set-top boxes." Freeing up that spectrum in the 700 - 800 MHz band would provide cheap widely available means to deliver high-speed wireless services, said Hundt, in much the same way it did for broadcasters when it was granted to them decades ago. Hundt said if the coveted broadcast spectrum could be freed up, and the FCC enforced its rules, wireless broadband could go a long way in bringing the United States in line with other countries with superior broadband penetration. Archives at: <http://Wireless.Com/Dewayne-Net> Weblog at: <http://weblog.warpspeed.com> ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
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- Hundt To Senate: Clear 700-800 MHz Spectrum Dave Farber (Apr 29)