posted July 18, 2006 07:36 AM            

Red: Spectrum should be treated as an abundant resource and a public good. It is too risky to do otherwise.

Blue: Spectrum should be treated as a scarce resource and a private good. It is too risky to do otherwise.

1) State your position. How and why will more/less government regulation of spectrum promote innovation?

2) Present your evidence, preferably using the sites and types of sites you have encountered in this course.

3) Explain how your evidence supports your position. Tell us how to think about it.

Learn more on the case page.

posted July 26, 2006 05:14 PM            

Who uses it?
Anyone that uses wireless technology.

Currrent Myths,
-Wireless spectrum is scarce, which is false there is no scarcity in the spectrum so there is no need for it to be licenced out to anyone

-Having an open spectrum will create too much interference, which is false also, interference will never happen. Receivers and transmitters are smart enough to be able to switch frequencies as a particular band gets more congested.

-Bandwidth will be consumed,which is also false and in fact new technology increases bandwidth with the number of users and as more people join a wireless network, there will be a gaining effect in which the network will increase it capacity.

Security
Security should not be built into Open Spectrum, any more than it is built into the Internet.It will be more secure if it is done at the "ends" of the communication, not in the middle.

For too long our society has been subject to propagandas material where they talk (broadcasters) and we listen. Licensing the radio spectrum is like charging people for the oxygen that they breathe, its an abundant resource that should be treated as such. Opening up the spectrum will give smaller players in the broadcast industry an equal chance just as the media giants who have locked them out in the past to be heard. More importantly, it will enable consumers and citizens to communicate with one another. We will create our own content, but we’ll also be in constant conversation.

“The Internet is allowing people to connect with one another freely with out governmental regulations but the Internet is text based. Imagine connectedness through the spectrum which will tear down our broadcast structure where we just sit on the couch and listen.”

“Our freedom is defined by the channel changer nearby. We expect power to be concentrated in the hands of those who have access to media. We expect politicians to be talking at us more than listening to us.”

An open spectrum promotes freedom and equality and the FCC should no longer be the gatekeepers of our society. Opening the spectrum is the key to innovation and the possibliities are endless. The Internet was only the first step now lets move on to the next.

Sites that support my claim: http://www.greaterdemocracy.org/OpenSpectrumFAQ.1.0.html http://www.greaterdemocracy.org/framing_openspectrum.html http://www.techworld.com/mobility/features/index.cfm?FeatureID=1013