There’s plenty to be excited about regarding the AWS-3 spectrum, which the FCC intends for free broadband access. Of course, there is some vehement opposition from the major telecommunications and wireless companies. T-Mobile is even reportedly considering suing the FCC over their plan, which they say will interfere with existing wireless networks. Over at InfoWorld, Ephraim Schwartz takes a look at the implications of free wireless broadband.
Most importantly, he shares with us some FCC documentation which just might whet some appetites:
Require the licensee to provide free, two-way broadband Internet service including:
– engineered data rates of at least 768 kbps downstream using up to 25 percent of the licensee’s wireless network capacity.
- an “always on” network-based filtering mechanism.Require the licensee to provide for open devices and open applications for its premium service and open devices for its free service
By the way, this service must also be porn-free, again per the FCC:
(a) The licensee of the 2155-2188 MH band (AWS-3 licensee) must provide as part of its free broadband service a network-based mechanism:
(1) That filters or blocks images and text that constitute obscenity or pornography and, in context, as measured by contemporary community standards and existing law, any images or text that otherwise would be harmful to teens and adolescents. For purposes of this rule, teens and adolescents are children 5 through 17 years of age;
Even better, there could be a pay option, cheaper than your current wireless broadband costs, which can provide speeds up to 3Mbps. If, as Schwartz says, this is around $25 per month, the major wireless carriers are going to see a mass defection of customers. That’s what competition does, though.
It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out. The FCC is facing a number of corporate behemoths. Hopefully, they can fend them off.
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uhh no, its just a way for the govmerment to censor the internet.