Comments on: FCC chairman backs use of 'white space' spectrum

The chairman of the FCC said Wednesday that he supports the use of unused "white space" spectrum for wireless broadband services.

[Galaxy5]

Sounds like that offer of a ride in the Google party jet hanged his mind!

[tpobrienjr]

"White space", as described, may be a politically-motivated illusion. The separation between channels exists for a good technical reason: decreased signal-to-noise ratio caused by adjacent-channel interference. It may be true that digital-signal-processing technology can make more of the white space available, but this reality must be considered, because it won't go away: just because you can transmit and receive a signal in a piece of spectrum doesn't mean there's no bandwidth or SNR cost in the adjacent channels. Do the math; ALL the math.

[galeso]

The separation of channels was done for technical reasons, but technology has advanced a great deal since the fifties. If the new digital equipment can stay in the "white space" let them use it.

[chash360]

This is the first step in providing truly free wireless services, of which all communication services should transition to, especially broadband internet. The EM spectrum belongs to all of us, it should NOT be hoarded away by corperate telco's and big media. The whole EM Spectrum can be properly and carefully managed by licensing devices, protocols and specifications, NOT corperations or individuals. The use of the EM Spectrum costs next to nothing, just the power to operate the device (and the cost of the device itself), so why should we waste so much money funneling the country's wireless communications through monopolistic corperations that claim exclusive rights to spectrum just because they paid for a lisence to monopolize. (Think of the millions that are charged for a single 30 second spot during the Superbowl, they can only get away with that through monopoly, and exclusivity.) This country could not exist without communications, just as it could not exist without transportation (the highway network). Should we license roads, highways and freeways to corperations so they can charge us a service fee to drive on them? There is a way to provide wireless commincations to everyone, everywhere without any service fees, in such a manner that we will never again run out of bandwidth. This is the first step toward that goal.

[tpobrienjr]

Gimme a break. Note who the folks are who are pushing this whitespace concept. Microsoft and Google, for example. Big bucks talk, and they come from the monopolistic corporations, whether they are telcos or not. They are taking advantage of the fact that the FCC is at an all time low in its knowledge of engineering and science, and an all time high in its political involvement. And if you think that will change when there's a change in the White House, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you.