Wholesaling of D block spectrum okayed by FCC

Landing an agreement to create a worldwide mobile broadband standard with the freed up 700MHz band isn't the only good news going on in the spectrum world, as the FCC has also waived a previous regulation that would require winners of the D block segment to not wholesale more than 50-percent of its capacity. Now, the winner will be able to wholesale up to 100-percent of the capacity so long as it abides by the other guidelines surrounding D block, most notable of which is the provision that requires the victorious bidder to "build out a nationwide wireless network that is good enough to meet public safety specifications for coverage and redundancy." The move is seen as one that will widen the range of potential bidders and encourage small business participation, and for consumers, it could offer up more competition in the mobile services marketplace. Sounds like a surefire win-win, eh?

[Via RCRNews, image courtesy of toddemslie]
Read - FCC D block waiver [PDF]
Read - Explanation of D block spectrum

[Ryan @ Nov 19th 2007 1:23AM]

here comes google...

[ethana2 @ Nov 19th 2007 4:46AM]

Indeed.

Verizon and AT+T... as your cash cow perishes, think of all those customers you screwed over, all the power you abused, and all the good times you had overcharging people for data transfer.

...Those days are over. Better start adapting now.

[umm....hello??? @ Nov 19th 2007 5:06AM]

yeah, because the new owners are totally NOT going to take advantage of their power and offer completely FREE service?? Get real. The consumer is always going to lose on these deals....real question is by how much.

[umm....hello??? @ Nov 19th 2007 5:11AM]

...and if you think that we won't pay because this is for the public good, you're crazy. our government is very good at squandering our tax money. you will pay.

[derX @ Nov 19th 2007 1:34AM]

I don't know, something about the name "D block spectrum" conjures up the image of a radiowave with a shank.

-------

Back to tech.

"Landing an agreement to create a worldwide mobile broadband standard with the freed up 700MHz band isn't the only good news going on in the spectrum world."

I don't know, I am still very stoked about this. I mean, for the first time ever. Those hot Eurasian phones are ALSO hot North American phones. Now I will begin to like SE, again. The two best manufacturers are Nokia (perrenial favorite) and SE. Nokia has released an American version of the n95 which warmed my heart (now if I could afford it, but that's another story [= rant]) and does show some sort of love the North American 3G (when you say US 3G, sometimes the Canadians get upset, which is completely justifiable, might I add). But SE has JUST released a USB modem with North American 3G. Some of their best phones (like the P series and most of the better walkman series phones) don't even have American GSM nonetheless 3G radio. Pretty crappy.

[John @ Nov 19th 2007 6:29AM]

Just gimme affordable mobile internet!

[insertAlias @ Nov 19th 2007 9:48AM]

Define "affordable". That differs widely from person to person.

[Steven @ Nov 19th 2007 6:01PM]

Less than $8 a month.

[Josh @ Nov 19th 2007 6:02PM]

5$ a month.