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

Re:Religious institutions ?

[Gavagai80]

God needs the spectrum to communicate his word.

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...

Re:Money, money...

[bloodninja]

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... I certainly hope the do turn into money whores, and that IS ethics. TFS implies that the telecos were not exactly helping the schools when they needed help, so why shouldn't the schools take advantage of the new situation?

Re:Money, money...

[Lense of Madness]

Yes, yes they are. My old school has a few electronic media degrees. Once upon a time, this meant we had a great radio broadcast program, and a frequency to go with it. The school had an actual broadcast studio on par with many of the local for profit stations in terms of equipment. They even had a separate recording studio set up for interviews and production material, or just so one person could be broadcasting live and others could still learn in the secondary studio. Now the school doesn't have that frequency. They weren't technically allowed to sell the frequency, because it was licensed for educational use, but they've rented it out for an unspecified number of years (the speculation is that its gone for at least 20 years). So yes, schools will whore out their frequencies, to the detriment of students.

Re:Religious institutions ?

[TheSHAD0W]

Would you rather have the mullah at the mosque two doors down yelling over a loudspeaker, or over a radio channel?

Re:A little more background please for non-USA fol

[mikael]

Here's a link to the purpose of the education spectrum

In 1963, the frequency band 2500-2686 MHz was reserved to educational institutions for over-the-air transmission of instructional TV programs. Transmission was point-to-point, for example, campus-to-campus or campus-to-hospital for continuing education needs. Hence the name: Instructional Television, Fixed Service (ITFS). The power authorized (up to 100 watts) allowed transmit/receive separations of up to 30-40 miles.

Re:Religious institutions ?

[vertinox]

but why do religious institutions have frequencies allocated to them ?

Something to do with the words politics, campaign, and donations. Not in any particular order.

Maybe this will fix....

[3seas]

....http://www.newsweek.com/id/138536

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.