FCC to Broadcasters: You Gonna Use All That Spectrum? [NewTeeVee]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as part of its development of a national broadband plan, has formally begun a process to determine whether it should reclaim some of the spectrum currently held by television broadcasters to auction it for the purpose of wireless Internet. The FCC recently released a formal notice that asks broadcasters how they're currently using the spectrum they have and the impact of a spectrum reallocation by the Commission. With the ability to travel long distances and through solid objects, the frequency ranges of spectrum used by broadcasters for over-the-air television has appeal for long-range, high speed broadband Internet.
Chairman Julius Genachowski has talked about his interest in determining whether some of this spectrum can be better used for applications other than television broadcasts. Now that television broadcasts are in digital, there may not be a need for as much real estate on the electromagnetic spectrum to broadcast over-the-air television. For their part, broadcasters have expressed their opposition of any moves by the government to reclaim this spectrum. For now, the Commission will investigate the issue as part of its broader commitment to creating a plan for getting all Americans online.
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