Generations ago, broadcasters got the right to use the airwaves -- now worth billions of dollars -- for free. Ever since, they have used heavy lobbying and political friendships to stave off rivals. But as the digital age unfolds, change is in the air.
...new digital technologies provide a fresh wave of compelling reasons to reallocate the airwaves. The new devices include handheld police video gear that can capture, send, and receive images from a crime scene; car-mounted navigation units that don't just pick up traffic reports, but receive street-by-street data and calculate alternative routes for drivers; tiny radio tags that retailers use to manage the inventories of every item in their stores; and much more.
Adding to the mounting pressure on broadcasters is the fact that police and fire departments cannot communicate effectively in emergencies. Moreover, the federal government is forfeiting tens of billions of dollars in revenue that would come from auctioning frequency licenses. And the public is deprived of more competition among telephone and cable companies. Because of the artificial scarcity caused by the broadcasters' tight grip on their spectrum space, opportunities for innovative technologies are limited.
article See also below Sensor Telemetry Re-Evolution
~Good history but a few facts are debatable: for example has anyone actually seen American HDTV's "stunningly clear images"? The engineering bugs are still a problem and it's odd that the writer assumes all the problems with HDTV are politically related. Maybe they're holding out for more bandwidth?
Posted by Cieciel at March 1, 2005 02:01 PM