> I guess I just have a negative gut reaction to taking frequencies that > were previously accessable to all and turning them into pay-for-use > services. It's a bit like selling a national park to Chevy and then > roping it off so only Chevy truck owners can drive there -- for a price. > Problem is, they are NOT free or accessible for all!!! The government handed out huge sections of the spectrum to broadcast stations, universities, etc. in the earlier part of the last century, and those license holders are now wanting to cash in by selling your so-called "public trust" back to the people!!! I would equate this more to the use of national lands for strip mining or ranching--use the land for a profitable use, and enforce preservation on those who profit from it. I don't want to see every bit of the spectrum turned into "for-profit" use either, but the point here is that the cellular companies can't get enough spectrum to provide a decent service for their users, while people who were GIVEN spectrum years ago are using it for arcane technologies that are in decline or no longer exist. The spectrum was given to these people in the first place to promote technology and growth, and now that action is having exactly the opposite effect. No one is "taking" the spectrum back from broadcast TV companies ("if they get away with it with broadcast TV...), the cell companies are paying big bucks for it, and the broadcast TV magnates (who freely admit the spectrum is being under utilized or poorly utilized) will make billions off of your "public trust"! Use bogus information to register at the site, but do yourself a favor and read this article. You won't believe your eyes. bmc :) Ben McCafferty ben@volkscafe.com Volks Cafe 1823 Soquel Avenue Santa Cruz, CA 95062 831-426-1244 http://www.volkscafe.com
> From: David Brodbeck <gull@cyberspace.org> > Date: Fri, 17 Jan 2003 16:29:28 -0500 (EST) > To: Ben McCafferty <ben@volkscafe.com> > Cc: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Subject: Re: NVC Wireless, was: Re: Fast German will fix the broken rebuild / > Fix? > > On Fri, 17 Jan 2003, Ben McCafferty wrote: > >>> From each according to ability, to each according to need??? >> >> 137 million cell users versus 11 million broadcast TV users. Did you read >> the article? > > No, I don't like having to register with sites, to be honest. > > If they get away with it with broadcast TV and radio, you can kiss your > CB, FRS, and 802.11 frequencies goodbye, I bet. > > _ _ > __ _ _ _| | | | David M. Brodbeck (N8SRE) Ypsilanti, MI > / _` | | | | | | +----------------------------------------------------- > | (_| | |_| | | | @ cyberspace.org > \__, |\__,_|_|_| "To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the > |___/ pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the engineer, > the glass is twice as big as it needs to be." |
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