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FCC clears the air

by Andrew McKinnon on November 1, 2008 at 03:37 PM


There has been a movement spearheaded by the FCC and a few Silicon Valley start-ups to provide free wireless Internet service nationwide. The service would operate on a spectrum of bandwith that the US Government currently owns and operates. Companies like T-Mobile and AT&T charge for wireless Internet services that operate on adjacent spectrums, and these companies have opposed the plan for free wireless because of the belief that use of the government spectrum would disrupt the service of their paying customers. A Federal Communications Commission report released Friday concluded however that these concerns about interference with other carriers are overblown.

The "free-use" wireless spectrum will be auctioned off by the government and several Silicon Valley start-ups are positioned to take over the operation and deliver the service, most notably M2Z Networks, Inc., a Kleiner Perkins-backed start-up that two years ago proposed the original plan. M2Z would use the 25 megahertz block of spectrum to provide a free service nationwide. M2Z would then try to recoup costs through advertising and subscriptions for consumers willing to pay for faster service.

The FCC requires the auction winner to provide free family-friendly wireless broadband services to 50% of the population in four years and 95% of the population within 10 years.

from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122385228422827027.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

For more on the free wireless Internet movement and its benefits see http://www.FreeBroadbandNow.org/

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