Re: U.S. airlines, airports battle over Wi-Fi spectrum

>
> > We may want to watch this, as it could set a BAD precident...
> >
>I agree:
>
>Not that this newsgroup should become a political forum but our grassroots
>amatuer attempts at bringing low cost Wi-Fi to everyone could be significantly
>degraded if we start interfering with someone's ability to make huge 
>profits off this.

The real dangers I see, is "corporate" buying exemptions from part 15 power 
limits, and any attempt to regulate what have been freebands. They're 
trying to take a free service and make users (albeit captive ones in their 
airports) pay out outrageous sums.


>Exceed $1 million? I assume there not using the 802 standards but writing 
>their own from the ground up?



Yes they're nothing more than what you and I deploy.
 From what I hear, they're trying to stick it to the users with huge bills 
for wireless access fees.


>I don't get this. 802.11 interference usually comes from other non 802.11 
>sources, like cell phones and
>microwave ovens. From my 20 story roof, downtown San Francisco, I can see 
>150+ 802.11 networks.
>Never had an interference problem. I assume this is because the CSMA 
>collision avoidance spec
>works pretty well.

They, in usual corporate terms, define any interference, as interference to 
their profits.


>I know the FCC has good intentions. But they're controlled by congress who 
>routinely
>exchanges favours for campaign contributions (note the DMCA that was 
>passed after
>the Entertainmet Industry pumped $18,000,000 into it). Oh, the shame.

NO, STOP! HALT! Boing! Dispel that fallacy: The FCC has NO good intentions. 
I've personally called for their dismantlement in other forums. And I say 
that as a 30 some year veteran of radio engineering.
Sorry to digress a bit here, but kindly indulge me.
They've abandoned their mandate as protector of the spectrum, with the 
allowing of Nextel to continue to interfere with public safety, putting 
emergency personnel at risk, and all so they can suck up nexthell big bribe 
bucks and keep law vultures phat. This goes against every rule, written and 
unwritten from the dawn of wireless communications, that life, safety and 
the protection of property take precedence, always. That's why we have 
special public safety radio allocations.

Second case in point, they're allowing the total destruction of the  HF 
radio spectrum, from 2 to 80 mhz to deploy a dubious "high speed" Internet 
service called "Broadband over Powerline" or BPL.
They're totally ignoring the "can not interfere with licensed services" 
rules to allow this to go ahead.
This is supposed to "deliver high speed connectivity to RURAL areas". Look 
at the legislation that enables it, do you see any "must build" rules? Its 
another "cable TV" mafia operation, where after they pass the most 
profitable properties, their appetite for build-out will evaporate. Dont 
expect to see Internet access in Bumsquat, Montana anytime soon due to BPL.
BPL was tried in other places, and shut down. Austria for one. The level of 
interference to licensed services is outrageous. Just imagine a digital 
noise generator hooked to the world's longest antenna, THE POWER GRID!

Now, to regain just a semblance of topicality, if we believe in our access 
to a free services like Wi-fi, then we should show some solidarity with 
those that are fighting to keep their access to shortwave listening, ham 
radio, and a host of other HF services as well. This FCC is absolutely out 
of control, and totally off the reservation. They are simply a revenue 
generation department, auctioning off radio spectrum they have no ownership 
of, nor a right to sell. The aether belongs to all people of this planet, 
and radio respects no borders.
The entire spectrum could be better served if they were abolished, and the 
NTIA or NIST took over frequency coordination/licensing. I'd rather 
engineers be in charge than political hacks, any day.


>Sorry to get political.

Me too, but its something that really needed said....Im totally disgusted 
with the FCC lately...Im not as concerned about some woman's breast shown 
on prime TV, as much as Im concerned a fireman cant yell for help trapped 
in a burning building. They've abrogated their mandate, ignored their 
duties, and now should be deep sixed.


>But speaking of satellites. I noticed that the Amatuer Radio folks seems 
>to have done
>pretty well with OSCARS (Orbiting Satellite Carry Amateur Radio). See,
>http://www.spacetoday.org/Satellites/Hamsats/HamsatsBasics.html
>
>If I remember correctly, you can get a small payload up for about $30K 
>these days.
>The problem for us would probably be with our 4 watt power limitation. But 
>does anyone
>have any thoughts on 802.xx via satellite?

I was active on packet on the satellites, and doppler is killer on NEO's 
(Near earth orbiting). Youre not going to have much thruput due to bird 
spin, and plain old doppler. Besides, those $30k packages were Shuttle GAS 
(get away specials) and I dont even know if they'll be flying them once the 
shuttle returns to service.
I was involved in the  PCsat stuff, 
http://web.usna.navy.mil/~bruninga/satstation.html
and that required a full rocket launch, the first from the Kodiak facility.
But yes, the future looks bright for satellite comms, its just horribly 
expensive to get in orbit.

BUT! ON that note, congrats to Burt Rutan's team for making the first 
civilian rocket trip into space today...Good Show...

Marc 

_______________________________________________
BAWUG's general wireless chat mailing list
[unsubscribe] http://lists.bawug.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless