Congress Wants FCC To Auction TV White Spaces

GovTechGuy writes "Things don't look good for Google, Microsoft and other companies hoping to experiment with super WiFi and other technologies in unused TV channels or 'White spaces'. Both House Republicans and Senate Commerce Chairman Jay Rockefeller are prodding the FCC to sell as much spectrum as possible at next year's incentive auction, which may not leave much for those hoping to advance the next generation of WiFi technology."

Comments

keep it and manage it like roads and airspace

[k6mfw]

instead of those with the big bucks owning huge lots of spectrum, FCC should regulate it like public roads and airspace to be sure everyone has a fair share and still follow the rules. It seems few corporations will get big slices so they can do whatever they want with it, and everyone else get scraps like 2.4GHz which become useless (classic example of tragedy of the commons).

Re:keep it and manage it like roads and airspace

[jythie]

Sad thing is that is what the FCC is supposed to be doing. Limited resource for the public good, but the current meme of 'private enterprise is the solution to all problems' has twisted their mandate into enforcing who gets exclusive lucrative access to what is essentially a shared resource.

Re:keep it and manage it like roads and airspace

[hawguy]

Sad thing is that is what the FCC is supposed to be doing. Limited resource for the public good, but the current meme of 'private enterprise is the solution to all problems' has twisted their mandate into enforcing who gets exclusive lucrative access to what is essentially a shared resource.

frankly, i prefer private enterprise to another bloated nanny department. did you know TSA has 54,000 employees? last thing we need is a weaponized FCC "enforcing fairness."

What's the other option? Open the airwaves to all uses and forgo all regulation? Whoever radiates the most power wins? I don't see how there can be any rational use of airwaves if there's no organization to control and allocate bandwidth.

Would you advocate abolishing all traffic laws and law enforcement on streets too? No speed limits, no stop signs, no DUI laws, anything goes. If someone runs you over in an 18 wheeler -- well, too bad, you should have had a bigger car - might means right in this lawless public resource and who needs weaponized law enforcement when private industry can sort it out through selling people bigger and bigger cars.

Re:Picking winners and losers

[unitron]

no, all frequencies are sold off to the highest bidder to do with as they please as long as they follow the rules for that block. only reason TV frequencies were free was because the stations agreed to free broadcasts

When TV first came along, TV frequencies were licensed to broadcasters to operate "in the public interest", same as with radio.

That was back before some gang of idiots got the idea to sell irreplaceable spectrum instead of just license or lease it.

May they suffer many various and sundry unpleasantries the rest of their days.