Telcos Compete For Education Broadcast Spectrum

palegray.net writes "A consortium of large telecommunications companies are competing to deliver high speed wireless Internet access over frequencies allocated for educational use. The schools who control the frequencies, long frustrated by difficulties in obtaining cost-effective net access, find the tables turned in their favor. From the LA Times: '... technological advances have made the airwaves easier to use — and much more lucrative to hold. For Cal State Los Angeles, Long Beach, Dominguez Hills, Fullerton and Pomona, as well as schools and religious institutions around the country, holding a license to the spectrum as the wireless industry expands has been like finding a winning lottery ticket in a dresser drawer. The agreements funnel thousands and even millions of dollars annually to schools at a time of budget cutbacks and economic slowdown.'

Comments

Money, money...

[Frosty Piss]

So, are some of these schoole going to become money whores and sell out their rights? It's a serious question, folks. When money is involved, you know ethics fly out the door...

Won't anyone think of the children?

[symbolset]

All schools should have redundant gigabit fiber. This should be provided by the telecommunications providers as a condition of their rights of way.

Anything less and we're not doing everything we can to compete.

Oh, and communications infrastructure is too important to leave to commercial enterprises. (see sig)

New Jaguar for the principle!

[urcreepyneighbor]

The agreements funnel thousands and even millions of dollars annually to schools at a time of budget cutbacks and economic slowdown. Which will be pissed away on crap that has no bearing on the education of children.