The FCC voted to open up the white spaces. All five Commissioners agreed, though Tate would prefer to limit the number of channels covered, and each issued his/her own statement. All emphasized the careful and tentative nature of the action; were they into Deng Xiaopeng quotations, they would have said "Mozhe shitou guo he" ("Crossing the river by feeling for stones").
The underlying Second Report and Order (08-260) will be published within a few days.
Chairman Martin commented:
Today’s action was advocated by a diverse coalition of consumer groups, technology leaders and Internet pioneers. Opening the white spaces will allow for the creation of a WiFi on steroids. It has the potential to improve wireless broadband connectivity and inspire an ever-widening array of new Internet based products and services for consumers. Consumers across the country will have access to devices and services that they may have only dreamed about before. I fully expect that everything from enhanced home broadband networks, to intelligent peer-to-peer devices, and even small communications networks will come into being in TV “white spaces.”
Comments