ONE STEP AT A TIME
The EETimes reports some good news on the"More-Spectrum-for-Broadband-Wireless" front, courtesy of the Bush administration (True that, Double True!):
"Looking to stay ahead of Asian and European rivals in broadband deployment, the U.S. is making an aggressive bid to open up spectrum for emerging WiMAX technology, according to a Bush administration official.
The U.S. is moving to open up WiMAX spectrum on several fronts, including the 700-MHz frequency band, said Michael Gallagher, assistant secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information. Gallagher also serves as administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
The move is part of the Bush administration’s effort to stay “one or two steps ahead of other countries” and provide “universal, affordable access for broadband [in the United States] by 2007,” Gallagher said during a presentation at the WCA’s 12th Annual International Symposium and Expo on Wednesday (Jan. 18)."
The articles goes on to provide more context:
"WiMAX — the IEEE 802.16 standard — is a specification for fixed broadband wireless access systems employing a point-to-multipoint architecture. At present, the early versions of WiMAX are deployed at the 2.5-, 3.5- and 5.8-GHz frequency bands.
Washington is looking to expand the spectrum to satisfy what could be enormous demand for the technology. This year and next, the U.S. government is expected to auction off the separate 1,710- and 2,110-MHz frequency bands for WiMAX applications."
As Lars Kamp of Telcotrash explains further:
"Frequencies for WiMAX (or actually any competing technology such as Flash OFDM, owned by Qualcomm) in the 700 MHz band can be considered highly valuable, due to its better propagation characteristics relative to the 2.5 GHz, 3.5 GHz and 5.8 GHz bands, which are the ones so far sanctioned by the industry's lobby which is organized in the WiMAX Forum.
In a stylized context, better propagation characteristics lead to fewer towers and base stations to cover a given area, leading to less costs for the network roll-out."
From my perspective, this is a good but MODEST first step.
It's still not like WiFi, which works on UNLICENSED SPECTRUM, which is open for ANYONE to use without regulatory approval.
Networks can be created by anyone for use by folks WITH or WITHOUT charge.
The important distinction is that the spectrum wasn't auctioned off for an oligopolistic wireless industry with deep pockets to use and create a "Walled Garden" network of services.
It looks like the Wimax initiative will move along the auction track though. As the EETimes article explains:
"By 2008, it will auction off the long-awaited 700-MHz band, which is currently occupied by analog TV. The U.S. hopes to shift the TV market to digital by 2009, thereby freeing up the spectrum for WiMAX, Gallagher said."
As I've stressed before in several posts (see here, here and here), deregulating spectrum is one of the BIGGEST opportunities for the US government to meaningfully open up the wireless platform for substantial economic and job growth for the country at large.
Thus it's good to see today's announcement, even if it's a baby step.
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