FCC Behind On 3G Wireless Network

dinosaur writes "This Week The US Federal Communications Commission failed to meet a deadline schedule proposed in October by President Clinton on the rules for identifying additional airwaves for the deployment of third-generation high-speed wireless services. Mark Rubin, FCC Wireless Bureau spokesman, said the proposed rules should be released this week. The FCC expects a final report and interim studies on the third-generation airwaves by March 1, 2001. The New York Times has a story on it (lamerator reg required) while NewsBytes hs another summary without the registration required."

Comments

Real problem is past decisions haunting them

[nosilA]

A few months ago I heard Reed Hundt (FCC chairman from 93-97) give a talk, and a lot of it focused on 3g wireless and ATV (HDTV) spectrum. The real problem here is he made a big mistake in granting the ATV spectrum, and for free no less, with very little incentive for the conventional TV stations to vacate their old spectrum until AT LEAST 2006. This is part of why the FCC refuses to create "open access" laws for cable, or why they refuse to regulate content on HDTV. They now realize it is better to not regulate until the technology develops.

This spectrum is ideal for reaching indoors and as such is extremely valuable, however the push to get ATV was stronger than 3G wireless, and that's how it went.

The problem with the FCC is that they have to make decisions long before they know if the technology is viable - long before the industry has done market surveys, long before the technology has been invented. True, the FCC makes a lot of decisions based on deep pockets and power, but they really are trying to fulfill the "public interest, convenience and necessity" in their spectrum allocation.

Think back to the 70's. Computers were only in a few research institutions. You wanted to develop a numbering system and hierarchy that would be simultaneously sufficient and not wasteful. So Here is the birth of 32 bit addressing. 30 years later we realize it isn't so easy to switch over to 128bit while maintaining the 32 bit infrastrucure (I know I'm simplifying the problem a bit, but the idea is the same). These geniuses 30 years ago came up with a great system, but they had no idea what would happen in the next 30 years.

The FCC dug a hole for themselves in the past 5-15 years with spectrum allocation. Add to that the fact that FCC chairmen and commissioners last usually 4 years, and then a whole new breed come in and mess things up again. And add that the commissioners are lawyers, not engineers. And they need to be both.

It sucks that the FCC messed up with the whole ATV thing, and I'm sure whoever Bush appoints will take care of the problem for better or for worse, but they are trying their hardest not to make the same mistakes they have in the past.

-Alison

Not the only FCC delay.

[AFCArchvile]

The FCC still hasn't increased the output limit so that 56K modems can actually operate at 56K. And they've had almost three years to do that! Furthermore, they've turned a blind eye to the DSL industry, essentially giving Pacific Hell, Southwestern Hell, and Derision free reign over the DSL market, allowing them to stand in the way of paying customers and bog down competing ISPs who do a much more responsible job as an ISP than the baby bells themselves.

What's that? You don't care about the DSL woes because your T1/T3 is doing just fine? Then maybe you should think about how the baby bells are keeping their prices high while other ISPs are offering $900 to $2500 per month for a T1. However, you still have to go through a baby bell to get the T1/T3 line.

I'll put it this way: if the baby bells can't give a soccer mom a decent Internet connection without fouling up somewhere, then why trust them with a high-speed, high-cost connection to your servers?

How can be best screw the average Americans?

[Bonker]

FCC Bigwig A: Hmmm... we haven't yet worked enough rules in to make sure that only large business and corporations can get access to the 3G specturm.

FCC Bigwig B: That's a problem! I know, we can do what they did with the internet and create a 'Non-profit Coporation to do our dirty work for us!

Bigwig A: We'll call it 'Gigahurts Solutions'. What's better about having it privatized is that in disputes between corporations and individuals, the corporations will come out on top because they have more money to grease palms with!

Bigwig B: Speaking of which, how's new your 'complimentary' summer home in the keys?

Bigwig A: Almost completed! How about your kids' 'scholarships' to Yale and Harvard.

Bigwig B: Billy's grades aren't that great, but I can just make another 'donation' to take care of that!