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ICANN NCUC Blog
We have earlier noted the longstanding efforts of M2Z to obtain free spectrum in return for a nationwide free wi-fi service. According to The Register the FCC has finally pulled the plug on the deal, announcing that the desired unused AWS-3 spectrum will be auctioned off towards the middle of next year.
In The Register’s opinion this “scuppers” any chance of a nationwide free wireless IP network.
The NY Times reports County Executives of America, a national group of elected officials, has proposed a plan to provide free broadband wireless service to more than 400,000 households in the Bronx. The borough was selected along with 11 other counties across the country for the project, a proof of concept for nationwide plan.
The project is to be built by M2Z Networks – a company that was in the news in 2007 when the FCC denied its application for a healthy swath of spectrum (2155-2175MHz) in return for building a nationwide wireless network.  The FCC revived the idea in 2008 with an open bidding process, upping the speed from 368kbps to 768kbps and including an – eventually dropped – controversial requirement that content be filtered.  Other companies were not in favor of giving any one company such dominance over such a service, and another company NetFreeUS proposed a much more open scenario involving devolution to local providers and a certain amount of spectrum set aside as  ‘commons’.  With the change of the guard at the FCC the plan stalled but now M2Z have got together with the Counties to  try and kickstart it back into action. The only holdup? The FCC has to approve the spectrum deal and the NTIA has to kick in $122m of stimulus funds.
FIND IT QUITE INTERESTING THAT M2Z PROPOSES TO OFFER PSEUDO FREE SERVICE IF THEY ARE GRANTED 122 MILLION IN FEDERAL DOLLARS AMONG OTHER THINGS….IE. GAINING ACCESS TO SO CALLED FALLOW SPECTRUM…WHILE AT THE SAME TIME THE NTIA HAS NOT GRANTED ANY GROUP OF COLOR A GRANT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT…HERE WE HAVE A YET ANOTHER WELL FINANCED GROUP OFFER TO DO “GOOD DEEDS ” IN THE NAME OF THE UNDERSERVED …YET ONE HAS TO PONDER WHY IS THERE A UNDER SERVED TO BEGIN WITH? COULD IT BE THERE ARE NOT ANY MEANING FULL OPPORTUNITIES? FOR SOME GROUPS ??
NEW YORK CITY SPENDS OVER 750 MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY ON TELECOM SERVICES (THAT WOULD BE TAXPAYER MONEY INCLUDING UNDERSERED FOLKS AS WELL) …AND THAT IS SPENT WITH FOR THE MOST PART EXCLUSIVELY WITH BIG COMPANIES …YET WE WONDER WHY THERE IS AN UNDERSERVED IN TECHNOLOGY AND WITH THAT TYPE OF GOVT. SPEND NO LESS …PLEASE!!!! THE NOTION OF ELECTRONIC DISCRIMINATION IS PERHAPS LIVE AND WELL… IT SAYS HERE THERE NEED NOT BE IF WE HOLD GOVT FEET TO THE FIRE AND STOP THE FEEDING AT THE THROUGH FOR THESE BIG COMPANIES AT THE EXPENSE OF ALL OF US ..THE ABILITY TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN EFFICIENT UBIQUITOUS NETWORKS WITH BACKING FROM GOVT CAN AND SHOULD BE DONE ….AND IT CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT BRINGING FORBEARANCE AND DOOM ON PRIVATE FOR PROFIT COMPANIES ….MAYBE SOMEONE OUGHT TO SPEAK UP AND ACTUALLY DO SOMTHING……SIGNED MEMBERS OF THE DIGITAL DIVIDE PARTNERSHIP
Update: FCC to M2Z: forgeddaboutit!
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