Old TV spectrum up for sale in new bill passed by congress - Being eyed for next-gen Wi-Fi networks

[crumbleshake]

[release][img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/02/celltower.jpg[/img]

It may seem a bit odd to see tech industry groups like the CTIA and CEA praising the passage of the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 by Congress, but that rather mundane-sounding bill has provisions attached to it that both groups and others have been pushing for years to happen. In an effort to cover the cost of the payroll tax extension, the bill also sets aside a large block of so-called unlicensed spectrum for auction, which is expected to bring in upwards of $25 billion. That spectrum had previously been used for TV broadcast use, but is now being eyed by various parties for next-generation WiFi networks, which could cover greater distances and potentially be used to bolster existing wireless networks. As part of the bill, Congress has also set aside a slice of spectrum that will be used as part of a nationwide network for public safety agencies. As The New York Times notes, however, it will see be quite a while before anything trickles down to consumers, with the auctions themselves at least a year or two away. The CEA and CTIA's statements can be found after the break.[/release]

Source: [url=http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/congress-passes-bill-opening-up-tv-spectrum-to-next-gen-wifi-net/]Engadget[/url]

[Transverse]

Its nice seeing old spectrums being reused.

[Murk]

Huh. Makes you realize that at some point in the future we'll just run out of "space" for wireless signals.

[Van-man]

[QUOTE=Murkrow;34755240]Huh. Makes you realize that at some point in the future we'll just run out of "space" for wireless signals.[/QUOTE]

Things like older wi-fi standards (B & G anyone) would probably be decommissioned by that time, so their spectrum would be freed up.

[DrLuke]

That picture makes me sick

[JennyC6]

I wonder if any of these frequencies will trickle down to radio control as well. I imagine the range is a bit better.

[Awesomecaek]

Huh? Our (Czech) DVBT (digital terrestrial TV) just replaced the analog one on the original frequencies.

[Nerts]

[QUOTE=DrLuke;34755454]That picture makes me sick[/QUOTE]

How come? It's just radio masts.

[bunnyspy1]

[QUOTE=Rents;34756035]How come? It's just radio masts.[/QUOTE]
I think he means the angle

[Chipset]

[QUOTE=Rents;34756035]How come? It's just radio masts.[/QUOTE]

There's a thing which is like reverse vertigo.

[KingTarkata]

I remember a discussion about this when we got rid of antennae TV and switched to satellite, but I never heard anything about it afterwards.

Would be nice having decent WiFi out here in the country without resorting to expensive-as-fuck satellite internet.

[aznz888]

good to see our government actually making use of these instead of letting them get dusty

hopefully this means faster internet speeds and lower prices, with all that competition going on

[A B.A. Survivor]

Hopefully all the money goes into the national bank and not individual congresspeople.

[MIPS]

Last I heard, UHF and VHF could cover long distances only because they were not high bandwidth.

[Nerts]

[QUOTE=chipset;34757886]There's a thing which is like reverse vertigo.[/QUOTE]

Oh, literally feel queasy, I thought he was disgusted by FM waves or something :v: