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The 700mhz Spectrum Auction In Perspective

Posted by Zonk on from the kind-of-a-big-deal(tm) dept.

YIAAL writes "Writing in Popular Mechanics, Robert X. Cringely looks at the upcoming auction of the 700mbz spectrum, which is currently used for soon-to-be-defunct analog TV. 'Why are all these companies so excited? Because the 60 MHz of spectrum that's about to be auctioned is the last prime real estate for mobile communications that will be available in the U.S. for decades to come ... Some pundits (that would be me) think Google will bid to win its spectrum block, then will trade that block to Sprint/Nextel for some of that company's 2.5-GHz WiMAX licenses that are far better suited for data.' Plus, the prospect of offering unlicensed data service in the 'white space' between existing broadcast channels."

9 of 88 comments (clear)

  1. Good Times by usul294 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'm anxious to see what develops from this. The 700 Mhz band should have a fairly large range (greater than normal wi-fi), but less than a radio station for example, given the same power. I'm interested in what each of the bidders wants to use the band for, most likely for providing wireless internet. At first connection speed might be a problem though, but still acceptable for casual browsing and e-mail. maybe not fast enough for real-time youtube.

  2. Just a thought... UHF 60-69 for... TV? by RingDev · · Score: 4, Interesting

    And what would happen if one of the bid winners licensed existing TV stations to broadcast over some specific frequency just as they already are? Sure, it's not innovative or revolutionary, but the broadcast TV model has already proven profitable, and there are a LOT of people in the US with out HD TV's/Converters. Seems like there could be a rather solid market out there to continue the status quo, at least for a while until the HD penetration numbers rise.

    -Rick

    --
    "Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
    1. Re:Just a thought... UHF 60-69 for... TV? by hedwards · · Score: 4, Interesting

      In general I agree, I've played around a bit with my wee small antenna and an atsc tuner, and the results are far better than I was getting with an ntsc tuner. The picture is crisp, clear and consistent in a way that the analog signal never was in this room.

      But anybody that lives out in the boonies, the places where getting quite a bit of static are going to be screwed over if they haven't gone satellite.

      Overall though, I think that the people that are screaming to maintain the status quo and the horribly inefficient allocation of the airwaves for an increasingly small minority need to think about the common good, and consider whether they have a right to forgo paying for a subsidized box if it means depriving everybody of the use of the spectrum.

      It would in many ways make more sense to subsidize a basic satellite package for people that live far enough away from the nearest broadcaster than to maintain the system as it is.

      Even if the spectrum is bought out by a company that misbehaves in the end, we still have an additional choice to make, whereas previously we had one fewer option. And that's a good thing either way, it gives a chance for a new service to sink or swim.

    2. Re:Just a thought... UHF 60-69 for... TV? by evilviper · · Score: 2, Interesting

      the broadcast TV model has already proven profitable,

      And is becoming less profitable by the day...

      and there are a LOT of people in the US with out HD TV's/Converters.

      This is just stupid. People don't have converter boxes now, but by 2009 damn near all of them are sure to, on the government's dime. Not to mention that digital will give you the opportunity for 4+ channels in the same amount of spectrum, and that the crappy quality of analog broadcasts is what drove many of the people in the country to PAY for cable/sat.

      I think, however, you could be on the right track... It's an interesting situation we find ourselves in. The 700MHz spectrum is going to be for sale for private use, yet it was a fairly recent decision to auction it off, so every digital TV tuner made will still tune to those frequencies. With enough money, you could build a private (digital) TV network that is tunable with standard equipment all consumers already have, yet not being subjected to the FCC's regulations of broadcast TV...

      I've also thought about satellites... 700MHz is a high enough frequency to penetrate the atmosphere, can be tuned to by cheap and widely installed DTV tuners, and common UHF antennas happen to be rather high gain, especially at 700MHz... Would it really be possible to have a satellite broadcasting an HDTV signal from space, that could be picked up by anyone in the hemisphere, just by pointing their cheap UHF antennas towards the sky rather than the horizon, and hooking it up to their HDTV tuners? The broadcast power needed from the satellite's solar panels might make it impractical, but it's still a very enticing thought. The receiving equipment would be much less expensive than a dish & LNBF, basically free because it is already commonly available. And from the viewer's perspective, what about the prospect of a strong (and free) TV signal, anywhere you are?
      --
      Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
  3. coupons here by bobs666 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    You can get 2 $40 coupons at this site

  4. Re:Transcript of the trade by mounthood · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Google: Hey Sprint/Nextel, trade you my 700 Mhz for your 2.5Ghz!
    (awkward pause)
    Sprint/Nextel: nah.
    (awkward pause)
    Google: ... damn!
    Google: OK we'll just buy you.

    http://finance.google.com/finance?q=Google+Sprint
    --
    tomorrow who's gonna fuss
  5. Re:so whatabout my grandma? by planetralph · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This is already implemented. Not quite as extravagant as you propose, but there are coupons for up to 2 TV's per household that will cover close to the full cost of a digital tuner. People without cable or satellite have priority for some of the coupons. The only problem is the people who need the program are the ones who won't be tuned in enough to know that things are changing until all the coupons are gone. Maybe advertising on TV will help.

    https://www.dtv2009.gov/

  6. Re:Transcript of the trade by UbuntuDupe · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Wow, didn't know that feature existed. Here's something even more depressing.

    --
    Apology to Ubuntu forum.
  7. Re:The 700MHz Band is great for data by morton2002 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The better propagation characteristics do have a drawback: limited frequency reuse. The cells will have to be spaced further apart to avoid overlap, resulting in more users communicating with the same tower. Furthermore 700 MHz doesn't have the scattering properties of higher frequencies that allows for multipath signal combining, which is tremendously useful in non-line-of-sight situations. This means that coverage in dense urban environments will have to rely exclusively on the partial propagation through buildings, which may leave shadows on a coverage map. These quiet zones could be targeted with additional tower placement, if not for the frequency reuse problem.