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FCC Opens More Spectrum for WISPs

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the leveling-the-playign-field dept.

flirzan writes "Today the FCC announced that they will be opening up new spectrum for use in wireless broadband applications. The new spectrum will run from 3650-3700 Mhz, and requires that licensees register all system base stations. This is great news for wireless ISPs everywhere, as it will make interference avoidance/mitigation much easier. Licenses will run 10 years, and are renewable and transferable. No word yet on how much the licenses are expected to cost or when they'll be available."

4 of 98 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Prices by ka9dgx · · Score: 4, Insightful
    The key word here is "non-exclusive"... they're not treating it as property this time, more like the the town commons. If this works the way I think it will, there will be a low fee to cover administrative overhead, just like the Amateur Radio service.

    Nobody is going to pay millions of dollars to have to cooperate and share... millions are only payed when a monopoly is guaranteed.

    --Mike--

  2. Lease vs. Sell by GrouchoMarx · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Isn't it interesting that when dealing with bands the huge companies don't want, the spectrum is licensed on a renewable basis, while spectrum that is particularly valuable (to the public that owns it) is sold out-right to big conglomerates?

    ALL spectrum should be licensed like this new band is supposed to be. Viacom can afford it, believe me.

    --

    --GrouchoMarx
    Card-carrying member of the EFF, FSF, and ACLU. Are you?

  3. Nobody has mentioned... by skogs · · Score: 2, Insightful
    the obvious things yet.

    What exactly is the expected propogation with 25watts at 3.xx Ghz? How far will it transmit information?

    How fast is any proposed standard for using this spectrum? Surely somebody had a plan, and submitted it with their request for spectrum. What is the standard and how fast is it?

    What are the channel allocations within that same proposed standard? While 50Mhz doesn't seem like a big spread, it is not difficult to actually engineer something that is selective enough to work on the half Mhz. That would allow 50 one way, and 50 another way.

    Overall I find this story leaves more questions asked than answered. When this is actually implemented in 4-7 years, will it revolutionize wireless, or simply be a bottleneck loosener?

    --
    Who is this that even the wind and the waves obey Him? Surely this computer must submit also!
  4. Big Deal by bananahead · · Score: 2, Insightful

    A 50Mhz channel in the 3Ghz space is not going to change the world of wireless. The spectrum won't propogate worth a crap and 50MHz is not enough to really solve bandwidth or channel interference issues. It will be as noisy as 2.4 and won't work as well.

    --
    A most overlooked advantage to owning a computer is if they foul up there's no law against wacking them around a bit.