Wireless Catfight at Capitol Hill
The wireless spectrum space has more than a few comparisons to real estate. In a given area there’s only so much of it, some of it is already used and some spaces or more valuable than others.
In most countries the radio spectrum airspace is publicly owned. That translates into the government controlling and administering a host of parameters, providing a license to use that space for both income and the public good.
Over the past few years we have seen much of the planet give up analog TV and into a digital use of the radio spectrum. That’s great because it’s more efficient. And with 70 years of advancement it’s natural to expect more efficient use.
The catfight with the lobbyists involves who is going to get the licenses to operate wireless devices in the sub-gigahertz airwaves that are now available with analog VHF TV turned off. The 800 and 900 MHz spectrum has long been in use for cells in the United States along with Mexico and Canada. It’s a great range because it penetrates buildings rather well.
And that space is currently very crowded.
The lobbyists are piling up for a catfight using statistics. AT&T and Verizon are scrapping hard however because between them they already own so much of the spectrum space they do not look like automatic winners in the fight.
In the competitive arena LightSquared looks down for the count losing its provisional license because of concerns the frequency they had is too close to possibly interfering GPS devices. That’s one of the funny things about these licenses. The government can give and take away.
Tcat Houser
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