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Politics

Spectrum Wants to be Free

As the federal government prepares to auction off highly valuable, tree-penetrating 700 MHz spectrum for billions of dollars, WISPs offer a small government, pro-business alternative.

[October 4, 2005]

On the ISP-Wireless list last week, GA wrote, posting for WISPA:

I am forwarding this urgent message to this list from John Scrivner of Mt. Vernon. Net, Inc. It is urgent that we all file comments.

If the FCC sees hundreds of comments from WISPs, then they may take action that will be favorable to us and not the broadcasting industry.

If you are on other lists please forward this message to every unlicensed list you know of so we get 100 percent of this industry to do this PLEASE! This will take about 5 minutes of your time and it may make history for our industry.

The FCC has had an open Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" called 04-186—Unlicensed Operation in the TV Broadcast Bands [.pdf]. They have tried to stall this proceeding out because the NAB—National Association of Broadcasters does not want anyone to use TV channels but them. In fact the NAB has even stooped to putting out propaganda in the form of a video docu-drama portrayal of a Grandma who cannot watch TV because the evil unlicensed operators were messing up her TV reception with their demonic unlicensed broadband operations (ok I embellished a bit).

Here is the deal. If we lose this fight it is not going to be over a lame video showing a grandma losing her TV stations from our efforts. I am gonna kick some NAB ass before I let that happen.

GO RIGHT NOW TO: http://gullfoss2.FCC.gov/prod/ecfs/upload_v2.cgi

A from will appear magically in your web browser. Fill in the blanks with your contact information. Use the guide below for specific lines to help you with items you may not know how to fill in correctly.

1) Where it says "Proceeding" type in 04-186 2) For the "Mail Correspondence to" line click on "Name". 4) and 5) Leave Blank 11) Check "Late Filed" check box. 12) Select the drop down for "Statement for the Record"

The other lines not listed above are things like your name which I will assume you guys have covered. :-)

Then type your comments about why you need those TV channels for broadband. Give good reasons and do not argue with the FCC. Just tell them why you need the channels. Use good grammar, use correct spelling, be as good a writer as you can even if it is only one sentence. I want to see 500 comments from the WISP industry on this NPRM over the next 5 days. Let's bury them in so many comments in support of this NPRM that the FCC cannot deny us this ruling.

Here are some thoughts that may help motivate you to do this right now:

How would you like to serve up broadband that operates in 100 percent of the proposed theoretical coverage area around your AP with no significant line of sight issues? How would you like to use common off the shelf cable modem type devices with minor modifications as CPE for these new magical APs? Then pay attention and do what I ask right now and do not try to micro-manage this effort. Just speak up right now! Today! Not tomorrow! We need solidarity on this one. Let's get it right and get the message out loud and clear right now.

Be prepared to hear negative comments about what I am proposing from WiMAX interests because they do not support all of what I am asking. We are not WiMAX radio builders. We are WISPs and we need TV channels right away before Uncle Sam pays billions to the RBOCs to circumvent what we are doing. This is the FCC plan if you do not act fast. The 120 day VOIP 911 order was a clear message that WISPs are not going to have a level playing field in this current FCC administration in many cases. It is time for us to demand what we need to build our industry.

Auctioning off the TV channels is not acceptable to us. The FCC needs to hear it many many times if we are to have a chance at this effort. We need those TV channels offered up under the FCC 04-186 NPRM. Support it and let the FCC know why you support it. Tell them about your people who cannot get signal. Tell them about the unacceptable number of towers it takes to cover a few blocks in a heavily treed area using higher frequencies. Tell them how we could maintain higher density modulation schemes without fallback if the signal to noise ratios were more stable as we will have with TV channels. Tell them how spectrum is getting tight because of the massive growth of wireless broadband in your markets and about how unlicensed use of unused television channels will help this. Tell them we will prove that Grandma will never lose her TV signal with our systems regardless of the NAB "Sky is falling" mentality. Tell them this NOW!.

We are going to get 04-186 passed right now or we are going to force the FCC to go ahead and rule against us now while we are the people who brought communications online in gulf affected areas. We have the highest level of political equity we have ever had and I plan to use it while we can. It may well be our only chance to get this spectrum and we disparately need THIS SPECTRUM NOW.

When you submit your FCC "Statement for the Record" you will be the proud owner of an official web page confirmation ID which shows you have actually made a difference for your industry and you will feel like singing "America the Beautiful" while dancing around wearing nothing but a flat panel antenna like a fig leaf. You will also have good luck if you send a copy of your FCC comment confirmation to the lists to show others you have done your part. (Please do not send any photos of yourself wearing a flat panel antenna.)

Go to page two: The WISPs respond