Barney's Blog

Blog archive

Google and Microsoft Agree on Airwaves

Both Google and Microsoft agree on one thing -- that the airwaves that will be abandoned when we move to digital television should be used for wireless Internet access. The FCC agrees, and is making these airwaves available for 'Net services.

That's the great part. Here's my fear, though: I worry that these spectrums, even though they're unlicensed, will be sold or given to service providers who will charge whatever the market will bear.

That's capitalism and isn't an entirely bad thing. But we also have an opportunity to serve some poor rural communities and poor urban communities here (hey, we might even find some suburbs that could use cheap or free access). I'd especially like to see this access spread to school kids so they have the same opportunity as Bunny and Biff in Greenwich, Conn.

Posted by Doug Barney on November 11, 2008 at 11:52 AM


Featured

  • Microsoft Planning Additional Job Cuts in May

    Microsoft's ongoing layoffs are hitting its home turf, with new notices affecting 1,248 people in the Redmond, Bellevue and Issaquah, Wash. areas in May.

  • Microsoft's Loop App Now Available in Preview

    Microsoft's latest collaboration application, Loop, is now available as a public preview.

  • 2023 Microsoft Conference Calendar: For Partners, IT Pros and Developers

    Here's your guide to all the IT training sessions, partner meet-ups and annual Microsoft conferences you won't want to miss.

  • Microsoft To Add ISV Designations to MCPP

    Microsoft's top partner executives detailed several changes it plans to make to the 6-month-old Microsoft Cloud Partner Program (MCPP).