Two New Bills Want to Open TV Spectrum for Unlicensed Wireless Broadband
By David Walker |
February 22nd, 2006
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In what comes as a surprise for anyone that sees the government as a gigantic sloth of useless legislation, Ars Technica is reporting that there are now 2 bills in front of Senators and Representatives that would open spectrums currently allocated to – but unused by – analog television signals for the use of wireless broadband. Rather than wait for the 2009 analog signal cutoff, these bills want to expedite the use of certain spectrums so that “Last-mile” internet can become a reality.
The first bill, the Wireless Innovation Act (WINN Act), sponsored by Senators George Allen (R-VA) and John Kerry (D-MA) would direct the FCC to enable unlicensed use of the spectrum between 54Mhz and 698Mhz by the end of 2006. A competing act, the American Broadband for Communities Act (ABC Act), was introduced by Senator Ted Stevens and specifies the spectrum between 72 and 698 Mhz, “other than spectrum in the band between 608 and 614 megaHertz, inclusive.” Both bills enjoy broad bipartisan support, which is a strong indication that one of these bills, or a variation thereof, will see action soon. Since it was widely assumed that these spectrums wouldn’t be available until 2009, it will likely take some time for manufacturers to create equipment to use them. However, these spectrums are ideal for broadband due to their ability to pass through walls, significant coverage and low equipment costs. Let’s hope this moves into law quickly, as the US is already lagging behind much of the Industrialized world in broadband connectivity.
Filed in: Broadband