Richard, I thought I'd cross-post this comment I posted on the Open Left blog (http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2746)
I'm glad to see the formation of the Wireless Innovation Alliance and its support from some in Congress.
I've been arguing for a long time that the white space is a potential game-changer in the battle over the future of Internet connectivity in this country. Though I have no idea what Google execs are thinking, if I was advising them I'd suggest bidding to win on the "open access" 700 MHz spectrum and working with vendors to design network and end-user devices that can handle that spectrum and the white space (they're both in the broadcast band, but the white space is at lower frequencies).
I'd also suggest working with companies like Meraki and FON (I think Google's already invested in one or both) to adapt their "community-mesh" network devices and business models to these spectrum bands.
There's a whole lot of white space spectrum potentially available. If the FCC frees it up, and its combined with innovative business models (e.g., by Google, Meraki, FON and others), the possibility exists to create a new Internet access infrastructure that's high-speed, mobile, open-access and that has a very low cost structure in terms of expanding availability and usage fees. In key ways it would represent a fundamental alternative to existing wired and wireless telecom models, which would mean that citizens would get to choose which model they prefer.
I call that healthy competition. And it could help us eventually achieve healthy democracy and healthy public policy.
We all know that broadband suppliers advertise their speeds as "up to" a certain level. But how fast is your actual connection? Now you can find out with our broadband speed test,
use the checker below to find out. To get accurate results make sure that you are not using your internet connection for anything else while the test runs (it only takes a few seconds)
Richard,
ReplyDeleteI thought I'd cross-post this comment I posted on the Open Left blog (http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2746)
I'm glad to see the formation of the Wireless Innovation Alliance and its support from some in Congress.
I've been arguing for a long time that the white space is a potential game-changer in the battle over the future of Internet connectivity in this country. Though I have no idea what Google execs are thinking, if I was advising them I'd suggest bidding to win on the "open access" 700 MHz spectrum and working with vendors to design network and end-user devices that can handle that spectrum and the white space (they're both in the broadcast band, but the white space is at lower frequencies).
I'd also suggest working with companies like Meraki and FON (I think Google's already invested in one or both) to adapt their "community-mesh" network devices and business models to these spectrum bands.
There's a whole lot of white space spectrum potentially available. If the FCC frees it up, and its combined with innovative business models (e.g., by Google, Meraki, FON and others), the possibility exists to create a new Internet access infrastructure that's high-speed, mobile, open-access and that has a very low cost structure in terms of expanding availability and usage fees. In key ways it would represent a fundamental alternative to existing wired and wireless telecom models, which would mean that citizens would get to choose which model they prefer.
I call that healthy competition. And it could help us eventually achieve healthy democracy and healthy public policy.
We all know that broadband suppliers advertise their speeds as "up to"
ReplyDeletea certain level. But how fast is your actual connection? Now you can
find out with our broadband speed test,
use the
checker below to find out. To get accurate results make sure that you
are not using your internet connection for anything else while the test
runs (it only takes a few seconds)