US: Free national wireless Internet access may soon be available
Posted by Alisa Zykova on October 14, 2008 at 11:22 AM
The US could soon get
free national wireless Internet access. The US Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) announced that worries about the service interfering
with network providers were "overblown", reports the Wall Street
Journal. By "early-to-mid" 2009, the FCC plans to auction airwaves to
bidders who will be willing to provide the service.
This may mean bad news for T-Mobile USA, a division of German telecommunications operator Deutsche Telekom AG, since it uses a part of the spectrum that will be auctioned off. T-Mobile showed concerns about possible disturbances that could occur in its paid 3G network. FCC engineers responded by saying that the service was tested and showed no "significant risk of harmful interference." However, the provider's officials said further analysis should take place.
This may mean bad news for T-Mobile USA, a division of German telecommunications operator Deutsche Telekom AG, since it uses a part of the spectrum that will be auctioned off. T-Mobile showed concerns about possible disturbances that could occur in its paid 3G network. FCC engineers responded by saying that the service was tested and showed no "significant risk of harmful interference." However, the provider's officials said further analysis should take place.
There is speculation about the initiative leaning towards M2Z Networks Inc,
which initially proposed the plan in 2006. M2Z previously inquired
about acquiring a nation-wide 25 megahertz portion of the airwaves,
pointing out that it would have funded the project through advertising
and subscriptions.
The FCC refused, but earlier this year announced plans for auctioning off airwaves to a network provider keen on offering a portion of the airwaves for free use. The wireless network would have to reach half of US citizens in four years time and nearly all of the population by 2018.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
The FCC refused, but earlier this year announced plans for auctioning off airwaves to a network provider keen on offering a portion of the airwaves for free use. The wireless network would have to reach half of US citizens in four years time and nearly all of the population by 2018.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
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