|
|
|
|
The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) recently held an auction to sell off some coveted airspace. The private auction for the space saw bids by many multinational companies (including Google and AT&T) and was eventually won by Verizon Wireless with a final bid of $4.7 billion. This airspace will be freed as a result of the 2009 switch from analog to digital television broadcasting, and may possibly used as a free and open access network.
|
This new open access air space could lead to some big changes in how America sees cell phones. The waves that travel through this airspace carry signals for long distances, potentially reaching across major cities. If Verizon lives up to past promises, the network would allow for users with any cell phone, blackberry, iPhone, etc. to connect to the same network. This would create an effect similar to a city-wide Wi-Fi connection, and would reduce phone-network compliance issues.
|
|
What does this mean? Well, for starters it would open avenues for new mobile phone design and innovation. Inventors would no longer be hindered by lack of network towers and wouldn’t need to sign with a nation-wide provider to sell their phones. Hopes are that by adding these new open airways, natural competition will lead rapid advances in technology. The first city-wide open networks may make their first appearance in two years.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
