FCC report negates free Internet interference claims

Correction: This post initially misstated the portion of spectrum cited in newly released FCC report. It was updated 3:15 PDT with corrected information and related background.

A Federal Communications Commission engineering report released late Friday essentially backs a plan to create a free wireless Internet service by dismissing concerns about interference for existing providers.

The FCC has been considering auctioning 25 megahertz of spectrum in the 2155MHz to 2180MHz band. As part of the rules for using the spectrum, the FCC plans to require license holders to offer some free wireless broadband service.

The FCC sees the plan, which is based on a proposal submitted to the FCC by M2Z Networks in 2006, as a way to provide broadband Internet service to millions of Americans who either can't afford or don't want to pay for high-speed Internet access.

But existing providers like T-Mobile USA, which spent $4.2 billion in 2006 acquiring spectrum in an adjacent band, say that opening up this spectrum would cause interference and disrupt service.

Friday's report, however, concludes that spectrum could be used as planned "without a significant risk of harmful interference."

Click here for a PDF of the full FCC report.

It should be noted that this free Internet plan is separate from a proposal to use so called unused TV spectrum, also known as "white space" for wireless broadband services.

[bonesbautista]

The awarded wireless spectrum doesn't belong to the companies - the licensed it. The license agreements don't stipulate rights by the licensees to make demands on the "white space".

The FCC checks every device that has a radio AFAIK. With the future licensees capping and throttling bandwidth on their existing services, rural areas in this country still not having access to broadband, and now empirical field testing shows potential benefits.

I use ATTWS broadband cards, and occasionally tether with my VZWS PDA - and I still want options in the field. There's thousands of square miles and tens of thousands of people in the rural PNW that would love to have just the two options I have today - maybe Google, MS, and Moto can help!

[fredmenace]

Even though the companies that licensed the spectrum don't own it, they have paid for the right to use it without undue interference. If white-space devices do cause interference, cell phones (including yours) may not work as well (=more dropped calls), over-the-air TV channels may drop out more, and the companies providing those services will lose money.

Also, I believe some of this specturm is already commonly in use by wireless microphones, etc. So any church, school, auditorium, club, etc. that may use wireless mics, in-ear monitors, etc. may have problems. This could lead to them needing to spend substantial money (out of usually very small or nonexistent budgets) to buy new gear.

There may be other current uses that would suffer interference as well.

I am not saying that it's theoretically impossible to carefully use whitespace more than it is today, but I do think that any approval of such use should be done VERY carefully and after a lot of real-world testing, to take into account harm to all current users.

I read the report, and it is NOT about "white space"; it is about a proposed new wireless service band in the 2100 MHz range known as AWS-3 and its potential interference with an adjacent wireless band known as AWS-1. "White space" is the reuse of TV channels (no higher than 798 MHz) that are not being used locally for unlicensed devices. They are TWO DIFFERENT THINGS! Please correct your article.

[meyersm]

Thanks for your feedback. I'll check the report link right away.

[meyersm]

Yes indeed, the FCC's report deals with a different free Internet proposal. Story is corrected. We regret the error. Thanks again for your feedback.