Spectrum of Greed

The American people collectively own the most valuable resource of the emerging information economy: the airwaves, also known as the radio frequency spectrum. Yet our nation’s antiquated spectrum policies create an artificial scarcity that reduces innovation and competition, inhibits the rapid deployment of universal wireless broadband services, sacrifices billions of dollars of revenue, constrains citizen access to the airwaves and erodes the public interest obligations of broadcasters and other licensees.

The words above are not mine, they are found on the front of the New America website.  I could not say it any better, so I borrowed their prose.

Until such day as the FCC recognizes this and fixes the atrocity that we currently experience for a wireless marketplace, we have to celebrate the little victories.  Like the ability to take one more step toward use of narrow slivers of bandwidth that lie fallow between broadcast TV channels that are themselves on the decline as the world moves on to alternatives like satellite, cable, DVD, Netflix & online viewing at sites like Hulu.

Yes, another step along the twisted trail to achieve white space superiority has been accomplished, according to a recent article from the Wireless Innovation Alliance.  There was a one month waiting period for comments on the recently approved White Space Ruling that closed on March 19th.  I am a few days late reporting this landmark event because of the overwhelming press coverage that this event received.  Besides the upcoming G20 summit in Europe, this whitespace thing is all anyone has been talking about.  I had to wait a few days to let the fervor die down a bit.

Here is someone that can provide a welcome perspective on white space and what it can really mean to us.  My thanks to Rep (D) Jay Inslee for his passionate and well meant perspective on the potential of wireless technology and white spaces in particular.

Let’s hope that the progress continues!