FCC dusts off old wireless spectrum
Multipoint Distribution Service approved for two-way communication, paving way for Internet services
MSNBC NEWS SERVICES
Sept. 17 -Federal regulators Thursday sought to breath new life into an under-utilized band of wireless spectrum by allowing license holders to offer two-way services like fast Internet access.
DOLED OUT IN a variety of proceedings since the 1960s, most recently in auctions in 1995 and 1996, the band of spectrum called "Multipoint Distribution Service" was previously designated for use as wireless cable television. License holders could broadcast information but their audience could not respond over the airwaves - that restriction made the service ill-suited for Internet access.
Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission voted to permit two-way uses, such as Net connections at more than 100 times the speed of an ISDN connection. The agency said it would also allow channels of bandwidth to be split up or aggregated into "superchannels."
A coalition of 110 holders of the spectrum licenses, including ADC Telecommunications Inc., American Telecasting Inc. and CAI Wireless Systems Inc. , had pressed for the changes.
"This is a historic moment for our industry," said Andrew Kreig, president of the Wireless Communications Association International.
To receive the wireless communications' high-speed service, users would need to have antenna - on the roof or outside a window - and a cable modem.
The FCC's action also means that wireless communications companies will be better able to compete against their biggest rivals: local cable companies, many of which are already offering high-speed data services.
Paul Sinderbrand, an attorney for the group, praised the FCC for "bringing its rules into the digital age and affording licensees the technical flexibility to offer a broad range of services." |
