Politicos want free wireless broadband on unused airwaves
This story was updated at 11:40 a.m. PDT with correct units for DSL
broadband speeds currently on the market.
A Silicon Valley Democrat in the U.S. Congress is proposing a new
auction of unused radio spectrum, but with some ambitious strings
attached: The winner would have to offer a free,
wireless broadband network that reaches 95 percent of the American
population within a decade.
Voicing disappointment that familiar large wireless carriers scooped
up the most significant share of airwaves in a recently concluded
auction, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) on Thursday introduced the
Wireless Internet Nationwide for Families Act, which would direct the
Federal Communications Commission to auction off a band of wireless
spectrum between 2,155 megahertz and 2,180MHz that currently lies
fallow and impose detailed rules on the winning bidder. Rep. Ed
Markey, the Massachusetts Democrat who leads a House
telecommunications and Internet panel, and Rep. Chris Cannon, a Utah
Republican, have signed on as co-sponsors.
Under the proposed measure, aside from offering the free broadband
network, the network operator would have to:
receiving the license
charges to consumers and "authorized public safety users"
transmission speeds in at least one direction (a far cry from the 768
kilobits per second speeds associated with most entry-level DSL lines)
measures that protect underage users from accessing obscene or
indecent material through such service"
equipment that can operate on the network
Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.)
(Credit: U.S. House of Representatives)
"While the auction required under this legislation is open to anyone,
it is my hope that the bold conditions of requiring free, family
friendly service will encourage the entry of a new kind of national
broadband service provider," Eshoo said in a statement.
The requirements, however, sound strikingly similar to a plan that a
Silicon Valley start-up called M2Z Networks offered to the FCC in
recent years.
Specifically, M2Z sought permission to obtain a 15-year exclusive,
nationwide license to essentially the same band of spectrum described
in the Eshoo bill. It wanted to offer a "free," advertising-supported
tier of service that would offer speeds of at least 384Kbps down and
128Kbps up, and a "premium" tier with 3Mbps speeds. And, like the
Eshoo bill, M2Z pledged to reach 95 percent of the American population
within 10 years and outfit the free tier with filters designed to
block obscene content.
The FCC dismissed that petition, opting to undertake its usual public
comment and rulemaking process before deciding who would control the
spectrum. It has reportedly already begun moving ahead with that
process, although it wasn't clear when it would finish.
An Eshoo aide said her boss had conversations with M2Z while drafting
the bill, but her motivation was "primarily to provide alternative
means of broadband access for more Americans, and this fallow spectrum
seemed to be a real opportunity."
M2Z CEO John Muleta said the bill's introduction is a hopeful sign for
would-be new entrants like his firm. "What we've been advocating for
is, there needs to be new entry, not necessarily more regulation, to
do innovative and unusual things that would get more broadband to more
people," he said in a telephone interview with CNET News.com.
An array of consumer groups supported M2Z's idea, but the wireless
industry opposed its original petition, calling it a "self-serving
attempt to gain access to valuable spectrum outside of the auction
process."
The new House proposal doesn't appear to be much better in the
industry's eyes. Joe Farren, a spokesman for CTIA-The Wireless
Association, said his group objects to the stringent conditions it
would impose on bidders, saying flexible conditions would ultimately
raise more money for the federal treasury.
"We agree with Congresswoman Eshoo that additional spectrum must be
made available and we look forward to working with her on this
important endeavor," he said in an e-mail on Friday. "However,
mandating how providers should deploy and use such spectrum is
something we can't support."
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