Obama Details Plan To Bring 4G To Everyone
President Obama announced a plan today to bring 4G wireless coverage to 98% of Americans over the next 5-10 years.
The plan entails freeing up 500MHz of the wireless spectrum. Spectrum is essentially the radio frequency that a company uses to transmit wireless information. There’s a limited amount of it, and right now a lot of it is owned or being used by people like TV broadcasters, who as the digital age progresses will more than likely need the spectrum less and less.
From the White House: “The rollout of the next generation of high-speed wireless—the “4G” technology now being deployed in the United States by leading carriers—promises considerable benefits to our economy and society. More than 10 times faster than current high speed wireless services, this technology promises to benefit all Americans, bolster public safety, and spur innovation in wireless services, equipment, and applications. By catalyzing private investment and innovation and reducing the deficit by $9.6 billion, this initiative will help the United States win the future and compete in the 21st century economy.”
In order to free up the spectrum, Obama is suggesting the government essentially buy the current owners spectrum from them on a volunteer basis. Spectrum would be put up at auction for use by wireless internet companies, and those who gave theirs up would earn portion of the profits of that sale. The government will be starting the process by freeing up 113MHz of spectrum it possesses by using what it has more efficiently. It plans to later open up another 95MHz in a similar way. The ideas is that some of the cash-flow from the sale (which will likely be a TON) can also help to get rid of a chunk of the national deficit.
What do you think about Obamas plan?
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