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FCC Rejects Cheap/Fast Internet Device
Tech.Luver writes "ABC News reports that a group of technology companies including Google, Microsoft, and Dell, have failed to convince the Federal Communications Commission of the utility of high-speed internet access via television airwaves. The FCC concluded the potential to disrupt consumer image quality was too high, in a statement released Wednesday. 'The technology companies say the unlicensed and unused TV airwaves, also known as "white spaces," would make Internet service accessible and affordable, especially in rural areas and also spur innovation. However, TV broadcasters oppose usage of white spaces because they fear the device will cause interference with television programming and could cause problems with a federally mandated transition from analog to digital signals in February 2009.'"
Ignorant as I am, I'd say all they need to do is to just up the frequency until outside TV spectrum. As an added bonus, all you'd have to do to cook your food would be to place it near your wireless router.
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And we all know that that "February 2009" deadline is actually going to be upheld.
But aren't TV broadcasters mostly on cable now??
I've ditched the cable/satellite in favor of terrestrial HDTV. You'd be surprised with the amount of content that you can acquire through time shifting and a good antenna (especially if you like PBS stuff like Nova).
Cable/Satellite TV's days are numbered with solid internet broadcasting.
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I can see the TV people's point. It's not like those frequencies are a big truck you can just dump stuff on.
Meta will eat itself
Whatpornifpornallpornwhitespaceporninporncommentsp ornwaspornusedpornlikepornthis ?
Wanna fight ? Bend over, stick your head up your ass, and fight for air.
The downlink speed using UHF is quite fast. They didn't mention that the upstream link uses USPS. The rate increase makes this pretty high cost/bit. Secure TCP (letter rate) is 0.41/packet and insecure UDP (postcard) is 0.26/packet.
Intron: the portion of DNA which expresses nothing useful.
When you first said "USPS" I thought "nah, he couldn't be talking about the postal service" but then you said "letter rate", and now I just have to say that I don't fancy the idea of printing all my ACK packets and sending them back. What happened to the paperless office? Obviously it's only paperless if you're using UDP!
I hate printers.
Yay, I'd LOVE to pay $20/month for what I get for free now! Sounds GREAT! I also eat a ten dollar bill every morning for breakfast, it is TASTY!
Warning: Apple/Nintendo fangirl. Likes her electronics cute & cuddly. May be rabid.
I'm commenting on your reply, but you'll have to wait for about a day- please read it, stamps are expensive!
+5, Truth
I just hope that my ex-girlfriend doesn't find out about this, or I'll be a goner.
The
Nah, UDP isn't postcard. It's bulk rate. The sender doesn't get a guarantee the letter made it to them, and there is no failure mechanism if the delivery fails, and the package is dropped on the floor.
Post cards have return and address forwarding service; bulk rate does not.
TMYN.
Thank you for clarifying that relationship. :D