[RTC List] Spectrum info

[Tina Nerat]

A fun and fascinating read:

 

http://www.wetmachine.com/totsf/item/1123 for the whole thing.


700 MHz Aftermath: Verizon, AT&T & the $16 Billion Termites.


Imagine you just spent a fortune on some excellent beachfront property, only
to discover some termites in the basement. Now imagine that the only way to
get rid of the termites involves some toxic chemicals that may arouse the
ire of the environmentally conscious locals. What do you do? Learn to live
with the termites, or spray and tell your green neighbors to deal?

Oddly, Verizon and AT&T now find themselves in a similar mess - if we
substitute "wireless microphones" for "termites." Verizon and AT&T (As well
as a bunch of other folks) just spent a boatload of cash on licenses in the
reclaimed analog television spectrum. The FCC has rules in place to migrate
the broadcasters - both full power and low power. But - as far as I can tell
- no one has plans to migrate the wireless microphone folks, who operate on
vacant channels in the band. While in theory wireless microphones are a
secondary licensed service and notifying the licensees that channels 52-69
are off limits after the digital conversion, the situation is a little more
complicated. As comments filed in white spaces proceeding confirm, wireless
<http://spectrumtalk.blogspot.com/2008/03/wireless-mics-are-legitimate-use-o
f.html>  microphones are bloody everywhere - with huge numbers of users
buying and operating them without licenses.

 

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