While I don't live in the US....I think AT&T needs to wake up that data will progressively take up more cell bandwidth than voice. Until there is WiFi everywhere, people will use 3G (and it's successor) to it's capacity if it's available.
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FCC Pointing to iPad as Harbinger of Increased Wireless Spectrum Needs
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While I don't live in the US....I think AT&T needs to wake up that data will progressively take up more cell bandwidth than voice. Until there is WiFi everywhere, people will use 3G (and it's successor) to it's capacity if it's available.
I don't know anyone who's planning on getting an iPad 3G. WiFi-only seems to be the popular choice. Now if AT&T would just let me tether my iPhone to my iPad...
Speaking of tethering, at least it's coming soon, right, de la Vega?
November 06, 2008:
AT&T CEO Confirms iPhone Tethering Coming "Soon"
Speaking of tethering, at least it's coming soon, right, de la Vega?
November 06, 2008:
AT&T CEO Confirms iPhone Tethering Coming "Soon"
I had to check.. EU has set a lower limit of 256kb/s for “broadband”. Finnish government has defined it as a “dynamic concept” with a “reference lower limit of 256kb/s”.. or something like that. I think these days nothing below 1Mb/s can be considered broadband
.The FCC thinks that devices like the iPad will congest the GSM 3G spectrum.
The US has been a world leader in utilizing spectrum for radio/data communication and radar for decades prior to digital data transmission. This spectrum that the FCC wants to auction off has protected the US against foreign invasion/attack, more worse than a "9/11" type attack, and successfully kept commercial airliners in the sky without crashing.
To hell with 3G speed capability until our transportation infrastructure and national security communication can be upgraded to use modern digital transmission where it would occupy less of the spectrum.
The US has been a world leader in utilizing spectrum for radio/data communication and radar for decades prior to digital data transmission. This spectrum that the FCC wants to auction off has protected the US against foreign invasion/attack, more worse than a "9/11" type attack, and successfully kept commercial airliners in the sky without crashing.
To hell with 3G speed capability until our transportation infrastructure and national security communication can be upgraded to use modern digital transmission where it would occupy less of the spectrum.
Interesting and complicated problem
The problem of spectrum is an interesting one. I think the best thing the FTC could do is to auction off as much spectrum as possible and no longer regulate that spectrum at all except as an enforcer of those permanent property rights and return the proceeds from the sale to the taxpayer. This will never happen because it is easy, simple, and does not allow the government to mettle. But the under use of spectrum is a travesty misuse of resources in this country. I hope it gets cleared up so that that spectrum can be sold and put to use as soon as possible. The spectrum is worth a ton of money, and the people (currently) own it so I hope whatever plan is put in place returns the sale price to the American taxpayers. Wouldn't that be cool - the government sends us a check for the sale of something we own to the highest bidder.
The problem of spectrum is an interesting one. I think the best thing the FTC could do is to auction off as much spectrum as possible and no longer regulate that spectrum at all except as an enforcer of those permanent property rights and return the proceeds from the sale to the taxpayer. This will never happen because it is easy, simple, and does not allow the government to mettle. But the under use of spectrum is a travesty misuse of resources in this country. I hope it gets cleared up so that that spectrum can be sold and put to use as soon as possible. The spectrum is worth a ton of money, and the people (currently) own it so I hope whatever plan is put in place returns the sale price to the American taxpayers. Wouldn't that be cool - the government sends us a check for the sale of something we own to the highest bidder.
It seems that I have fewer dropped calls and more 3G access these days, but I dunno. It might just be that the commercials are getting to me.
This issue has nothing to do with the Carrier
This issue has nothing to do with AT&T or other carriers. The problem is that there is only 500 Mhz (I think) of spectrum allocated to cell phones. With all of the devices using data, we are running out of spectrum.
The FCC needs to take spectrum away from old analog TV, military, police and other uses and re-allocated it to cellphones. These frequencies were allocated many years ago, before cell phones existed.
This probably isn't a big issue in Montana, but will be in large cities.
This issue has nothing to do with AT&T or other carriers. The problem is that there is only 500 Mhz (I think) of spectrum allocated to cell phones. With all of the devices using data, we are running out of spectrum.
The FCC needs to take spectrum away from old analog TV, military, police and other uses and re-allocated it to cellphones. These frequencies were allocated many years ago, before cell phones existed.
This probably isn't a big issue in Montana, but will be in large cities.
You know, I love how the United States make everything sound so important and pretty damn awesome:
National Broadband Task Force at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission
God Bless America.
National Broadband Task Force at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission
God Bless America.
lol. So true, but you must realize, in order for them to set aside a few hundred million of the taxpayers money any agency must have a very "offical" sounding name. Gotta love it.
I don't understand these references to a 1996-1997 dial up congestion issue.
The only one with an issue was AOL and that is because they sucked.
I acutally owned an ISP back then. All other ISPs were not having a problem servicing their dial up customers back then. AOL was just not capable of properly building out their service to support their customers when they made that change.
I don't see how it is comparable, unless it is the same thing, and the strain is just because companies are too cheap to build out their networks. I tend to believe that is the case and this is not a spectrum issue at all.
The only one with an issue was AOL and that is because they sucked.
I acutally owned an ISP back then. All other ISPs were not having a problem servicing their dial up customers back then. AOL was just not capable of properly building out their service to support their customers when they made that change.
I don't see how it is comparable, unless it is the same thing, and the strain is just because companies are too cheap to build out their networks. I tend to believe that is the case and this is not a spectrum issue at all.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Or, additional spectrum (perhaps another TV spectrum "land grab") could be solely allocated to free municipal wifi/wimax like several cities tried to do only to have such plans be crushed, undermined, etc by the same Goliaths (AT&T, Verizon, etc).
If our (public) spectrum could be allocated to free wimax, this data congestion problem could be thoroughly solved, while also equipping much of the public with a cheap/free source of broadband internet and mobile VOIP communications. Cheap/free communications could have enormous business and personal (citizen) benefits as well.
But who makes tons of money off broadband internet and mobile communications such that they have stores & kiosks in every strip mall, every mall, etc (which wouldn't happen if they were not crazy profitable)? Oh yeah... the very same players that would fight open spectrum wimax with everything they got.
So, instead of this maybe going somewhere eventually, expect that if it does go somewhere, these very same players will end up with the extra spectrum, still selling us contracts to use the public spectrum that we as American citizens own.
maybe money should be funneled to improved telecommunications rather than fast speed railroads...
Sounds like it's time for Government to step in and save the day... what we really need is a spectrum bailout
Sorry, but no thanks. I'm not happy paying additional federal tax money to enable some pimple faced kid to download the latest iFart apps and video tweets to his/her iPad in the-middle-of-nowhere-America.
I suggest you take a look at the major weapon systems and infrastructure that resides in the spectrum above 2 GHz. More of it is used by the US government to provide the quality of life and freedom we have in the US. Go see the "Table of Frequency Allocations" from the NTIA which is published by the FCC. Most people simply don't know what is being done in the higher spectrum and if its auctioned off, there is going to be chaos for a few years.
http://www.fcc.gov/oet/spectrum/table/fcctable.pdf
how many people are going to opt for the 3G version? I know I'm going wi-fi only, since I have wi-fi at both home and work, and there are plenty of hotspots everywhere these days, from Starbucks and McDonald's to municipalities and college campuses.
Plus, I don't want to have to wait the extra month for the 3G version. I'm impatient like that.
Plus, I don't want to have to wait the extra month for the 3G version. I'm impatient like that.
They should shut their mouth and quit bitching! The US has some of the lowest quality infrastructures in terms of internet speeds and broadband/data capabilities. They are basically bitching because the infrastructure is weak and it apparently took an iPad, which hasn't even come out yet(LMFAO), to make them more aware. If they can't handle it, make the infrastructure better!
I'd think quite a lot. Especially with the "you only pay for it when you need it, and there is no contract required" wireless strategy.
In other words, as was the case for energy independence needs, as was the case for the electrical grid, as was the case for internal terrorist threats... our government once again displays how woefully inept they are at foreseeing this nations needs and yet we continue to send those morons our hard earned money in the form of taxes with sheep like compliance! BAHAHAHAHAHA!
I say we have a real taxpayer revolt. Screw the TEA Party... Come April 15th, no one send the government money until we get assurances that the wastefulness and ineptness of this government and of BOTH Political Parties agree to be held responsible not by election day results, BUT by fine and punishment (just like you'd find in the Penalty Section of the IRS manual) for hoarding the peoples money and then screwing us over, time and time again!
You parents out there who give your children an allowance... do you determine what you give your children by what they've done by chores around the house and yard or by the demands of the child? I bet if is the former, and yet we continue to let our government dictate to us their money demands through taxes, fees, surcharges, reinvestments and whatever cute names those jerks on capitol hill can think of and we blindly open our wallets and pocketbooks and comply because they said so!
I think we deserve better and more from the money we send to Washington! And the LAST THING I WANT FROM THIS GOVERNMENT, is for them to be in charge of any national plan for broadband access for an interconnected web of wired, wireless, and satellite technologies.</RANT>