Speed Matters

[Mr. McD]

Affordable High Speed Internet for All.

A Communication Workers of America Policy Paper.

http://files.cwa-union.org/speedmatters/SpeedMattersCWAPositionPaper.pdf

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. damn, i thought this was a post about college days before exams.

see what memory does to you?

[hamerfan]

2. We need this,

as a national priority. My local town recently installed "fiber-to-the-subscriber" in all homes and businesses here. I have true 5Mb both up and down for $35/month. Speeds of up to 100Mb are available. This is as necessary these days as any other infrastructure, even more so if you like clean-technology businesses.
Thanks for posting,
dumpbush
IBEW #53

[blm]

3. There was a bill submitted Jan 9 - let's hope the Dem leaders don't sit on it.

110th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 234
To require the FCC to issue a final order regarding television white spaces.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 9, 2007
Mr. KERRY introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A BILL
To require the FCC to issue a final order regarding television white spaces.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Wireless Innovation Act of 2007'.
SEC. 2. WHITE SPACES.
(a) Adoption of Final Order- Not later than the earlier of 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act or October 1, 2007, the Federal Communications Commission (in this Act referred to as the `Commission') shall complete its proceeding and issue a final order in the Matter of Unlicensed Operation in the TV Broadcast Bands, ET Docket No. 04-186, which facilitates the efficient operation of unlicensed devices in television white spaces.
(b) Conditions- In completing the requirement described in subsection (a), the Commission in such final order--
(1) shall permit unlicensed, non-exclusive use of eligible frequencies between 54 MHz and 698 MHz--
(A) at the earliest technically feasible date, but not later than February 18, 2009; and
(B) in compliance with the conditions described in paragraphs (2) through (6);
(2) shall establish technical requirements for unlicensed devices operating in such eligible frequencies to protect incumbent primary licensees of such frequencies from harmful interference from such devices;
(3) shall require unlicensed devices operating in such eligible frequencies to comply with existing Commission certification processes for new devices, including the initial acceptance of applications for certification of unlicensed devices not later than December 1, 2007, with a maximum of 180 days for the Commission to review and dispense of each properly submitted and completed application;
(4) shall conduct and complete field testing in a limited number of markets (such markets to be chosen at the discretion of the Commission)--
(A) prior to the initiation of the certification process; and
(B) for the purpose of evaluating the potential for actual harmful interference to incumbent primary licensees of such frequencies;
(5) may provide a reasonable public comment period to solicit views on the published results of the field tests conducted under paragraph (4), but only if such comment period can be concluded in a timeframe that will not delay completion of the proceeding described subsection (a); and
(6) shall permit the operation of both fixed and personal/portable unlicensed devices at the earliest technically feasible date, but not later than February 18, 2009.
(c) Definition of Unlicensed Device- In this Act, the term `unlicensed device' means both fixed/access and personal/portable devices, as such terms are defined in paragraph 19 of the Federal Communications Commission's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Matter of Unlicensed Operation in the TV Broadcast Bands, ET Docket No. 04-186, adopted May 13, 2004.

[hamerfan]

4. Thanks,

I'd heard stories oh high-speed internet access via broadcast signals. This looks like a good deal as long as you live within the signal range of a broadcast TV station, which most of us do. The only equipment needed would probably be an antenna and codec.
What to do about the truly rural people? They're limited to a dish, or cable if not really rural.
But it should be available for all. I got this URL from DU a few weeks ago:

http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/index.htm

It allows for a free education from MIT! Think of other applications that could improve all our lives. As the OP said: Speed Matters!
dumpbush

[blm]

5. This bill was also submitted in last Congress but they never let it up for debate or vote

.