Sharing the Airwaves: Spread-Spectrum Broadcasting

NaDrew writes "From the SFGate: Hal Plotkin writes about how Spread-Spectrum broadcasting technology could revolutionize the way we listen to the radio, and make it incredibly easy for neo-broadcasters to start their own services. Sadly, he writes, the "often technically inept U.S. Congress has complicated the situation in recent years by shortsightedly instructing the FCC to sell or lease additional bands of spectrum that had been reserved for other uses." Not to mention "the media conglomerates that own most of the nation's TV and radio stations have a vested interest in the status quo and won't easily give up their hammerlock on what, in the end, are public airwaves." A fascinating article that also includes some history of Spread-Spectrum technology (did you know it was patented by Hedy Lamarr?)." A good primer to spread spectrum if you're new to the issue.

Comments

Spread spectrum isn't a miracle.

[TheLink]

Sure if you are not tuned in, it looks just like noise.

But if people are not careful what will happen is the noise floor is raised higher and higher till it drowns out signals.

Yah that isn't close to happening yet, but the way it's being hyped as if everyone and anyone can broadcast at the same time, it might happen sooner than expected.