FCC discards idea of grabbing TV spectrum for data
updated 02:50 pm EST, Wed January 13, 2010
FCC says forced spectrum swap not an option
FCC scenario planner Phil Bellaria in an interview late Tuesday dismissed talk of the agency holding required spectrum auctions to push wireless spectrum from TV to data services. He explained to B&C that the FCC never planned to forcefully re-license spectrum and that any plan would simply involve making it easier to give up spectrum. Tentatively, TV broadcasters could give some or even all of their unusued wireless frequencies.
"The reality is that we are not trying to take spectrum from any individual broadcaster unless that broadcaster chooses to do it," Bellaria said.
The statements narrow the focus of the FCC's goals for wireless, which have revolved primarily around adding as much spectrum as possible to handle the data load triggered by portable device like the iPhone. Beyond allocating more spectrum, the government body has considered allowing two or more licenses for a single spectrum and even offering device incentives to companies that can scale back wireless data use.
Via Facebook
Joined: Jan 2010
Thankfully
Since I watch so little TV, I didn't like the idea of paying $70 a month or so for a dish that doesn't even have all of the channels that I would like. For free I get about 20 channels of which 10 of them are never watched. This differs from a dish where you get 150 channels of which 140 are never watched.
The dish and cable companies combined FUD with peoples uncertainty/ignorance over the analog to digital switch to grab more market from the antenna crowd. I really don't like the idea of giving more spectrum to the mobile companies (who are using FUD) so we can have more Crackberry recovery clinics. Didn't they just get more bandwidth from the analog to digital switch?
If the market forces of declining advertising revenue causes broadcast TV to go away, that is fine, but I really don't want the outside influence of a data frenzy to make the choice.