October 14, 2008

More on Wireless

Last Thursday, I blogged about the state of free wireless in Oakland County, and across the country.

On Friday, the Federal Communications Commission
released a report that may, ultimately, open a broad spectrum of airwaves to wireless networks. If so, we might move closer toward a nation-wide, free, wireless network.

Read Wired's
analysis of the report and its implications.

And who does Wired blame for the sorry state of U.S. Internet and wireless coverage -- currently 15th in the world? The wireless carriers:

"While FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has expressed interest in offering a free, filtered (porn-free) nationwide broadband network, the wireless carriers aren't quite as enthusiastic about it.

What's their problem? While the U.S.' broadband penetration lags behind fourteen other nations, wireless carriers complain that free WiFi service could interfere with their own networks. What they probably mean, though, is that free WiFi will threaten their existence."

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