Broadcast Spectrum or Broadband Spectrum? We Want Both
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010WIRED – Eliot Van Buskirk
Television broadcasters are crying foul over the FCC’s recently announced vision for the nation’s wireless broadband plan, which would require them to give up valuable spectrum so wireless broadband companies can use it instead.
Broadcast television is more relevant than ever now that it’s purely digital, argue broadcasters and their investors, because so many people carry color screens around with them these days, and all a smartphone or tablet needs to in order to be a portable television receiver is a small piece of receiver hardware already installed in many cellphones around the world (though few in the U.S. have them).
On the other hand, wireless broadband providers argue, the smartphone explosion – not to mention tablets, if those catch on – will require more wireless bandwidth than they currently have. And not just for video. So, the FCC should give them more room on the spectrum dial to deliver it. (Full Article)