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FCC Petitioned to Restrict 2.4GHz Band
Mean_Nishka writes: "Internet News is reporting that satellite radio provider Sirius is petitioning the FCC to regulate and hinder providers of 802.11b based networks. Sirius claims their radios operate at frequencies only 55mhz lower than wifi's range, and fear that Wifi users could interfere (especially mobile and internet service providers). This could effectively kill free networks nationwide..."
And those frequencys are .2 MHz apart!
Besides, I was under the (mistaken?) impression that one of the selling features of this satellite radio crap is that it is all digital.
Thus said, could there ever be enough bleed through to completely wipe out their signal?
OR is Sirius more afraid people will start driving around town listening to Shoutcasted streams on 802.11 networks? Oh yeah, gee, I wonder.
- JoeShmoe
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-- I wonder which will go down in history as the bigger failure: the War on Drugs or the War on Filesharing
1) Which is more important, satillite radio or wireless internet access?
2) Which is the FCC most likely to understand better?
3) Which side has more money?
I think it's obvious which side will win out (if there can be only one, that is).
[PowerPoint] is a tool for capitalist presentation
This isn't that big of a deal.
:: The Critically Acclaimed New Linux Site. Ads Not Included.
"Besides being limited in size by FCC regulations, the 2.4-GHz band in which 802.11b products operate is becoming overcrowded. This is the same band that the long-awaited Bluetooth products, microwave ovens, some wireless speakers, and the latest wireless telephone handsets call home. Today's products already eke out all the performance they can within the band's regulatory structure, leaving very little bandwidth to accommodate next-generation needs such as video broadcasts and voice channels.
The most likely place for wireless expansion is the 5-GHz band. Its comparatively wide- open space could provide increased speed and better control over the quality of transmissions. Plans are afoot on both sides of the Atlantic to devise a suitable protocol for the 5-GHz band. Not surprisingly, the U.S. and Europe are pursuing two different and non-interoperable 5-GHz protocols."
Read the rest here.
m o n o l i n u x
1. I don't know the nature of either signal, but 55MHz is a decent amount of seperation. If there are pieces of 802.11 equipment which are really transmitting 55MHz too high, their manufactures deserve a bitchslapping from the FCC.
2. If satelite radio receivers are having a hard time dealing with a signal 55MHz away, their manufactures need to send the design teams back to school.
3. If someone is running 802.11 equipment at power levels which overwhelm nearby satelite receivers listening 55MHz away, they probably need to re-engineer their setup to use less power and/or use an antenna with a different pattern.
4. If none of the above scenarios are true, this is probably Sirius looking for a little extra elbow room. If granted, their next move (a few years from now) will probably be to pettition the FCC for use of the now underutilized spectrum.
Despite being a govenment agency, the FCC a knowledgeable technical staff to sort this kind of thing out. Occasionally the FCC even listens to them!
Come test your mettle in the world of Alter Aeon!
This crap is gonna go down in flames even faster than Iridium did.
Subscription, NON-LOCAL alleged radio, devoid of all of the values that make radio work in the first place? Bleahh!
Ever turn on AM in the am (giggle) looking for something that's NOT ART BELL? Local color?
That's what satradio is gonne be like in no time. Kiss of death. Nobody's gonna pay for the kind of homogenised drivel satradio will become within (mark my words) two years.
Can't wait to see the pretty lights when they deorbit those puppies luminescently.
THAT, I'd pay money for
>8->
Brak: What's THAT?
Thundercleese: A light switch.. of TOTAL DEVASTATION!
You've already spent significant amounts of money on WiFi. If your equipment gets outlawed (and that can actually be enforced), They (being whoever Sirius is acting on the behalf of in this lawsuit...either themselves or some big wireless networking company who might benefit) would have an easier time selling a competing standard, since the incumbent technology would be out, and the manufacturers of that equipment would not be ready with replacements.
And Freemasons run the country.
No, what your talking about is certification for electronics equipment (which states that its output in the RF area is within standards) and/or type acceptence (For RF transmitters means that it follows the FCC rules). This is totaly different from the licesening of a radio frequency!
What is ment by licensed and unlicensed is if a company or a group (in the case of ham radio and CB) has the use of a group of frequencies. The cell companies have a license, radio stations have licenses and even ham radio operators have licenses.
Do any of the 802.11x companies have a license to use the freq? NO, they don't. They just have to follow certain rules that relate to that band. They have a maximum radiation output and antenna restrictions. The problem with them is that they are allowed a certain amount of overage (out of band signals) and this is what is getting them into trouble. Sirius is asking that the out of band emessions be reduced by 30% and the the wireless people are saying they can't do that.
And BTW, not all radio equipment has to be type accepted (what your also calling licensed). As an amateur radio operator I can build eqiupment for myself all day long (for the ham bands) and never talk to the FCC.
BWP
I actually do remember a guy in the dorms in 1994 who had a P90 that interfered with his FM radio in that range. It's totally realistic, especially if we all start doing silly things like putting our PCs in plexiglass and lucite cases, instead of grounded metal ones.
I've got one here in my office and it blocks my 802.11b. The wireless network goes down whenever I use the phone. Why aren't they complaining about 2.4GHz phones? Maybe because the phones aren't as big a threat to the powers that be.