Tales of the Sausage Factory – Page 104

Columbia Journalism Review on Unlicensed

Harold March 7, 2005 February 24, 2013General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

Columbia Journalism Review has this article on unlicensed and its potential to revolutionize the media. I’m quoted, as are such luminaries as Eban Moglen and Dave Hughes and my co-conspirator Jim Snider from New America Foundation.

Tales of the Sausage Factory: In IL, Citizens 1, ILECs 0 (but it's just the first inning so keep your seats)

Harold March 1, 2005 February 24, 2013General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

The Chicago Independent Media Center reports that the Ilinois Bill containing the anti-muni provision, Senate Bill 499, was not called in the IL Senate as expected. Negative publicity and citizen protest have apparently caused supporters of the bill to reconsider introducing it.

Score another one for the good citizens of IL and citizens everywhere! But, as the IMC article notes, this could well get buried in the general effort to reform the telecom rules in IL. We have the momentum, but the incumbents are very well financed and very patient.

Stay tuned . . . .

Tales of the Sausage Factory: UPDATE on 3650-3700 MHz

Harold March 1, 2005 February 24, 2013General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

I have been making calls today. The situation is moving in a more favorable direction. The relevant decision makers are getting our emails and see broad popular support for mesh as well as high-power.

Key issues on which decisions have not yet been made and where comments may prove helpful:

1) Allowing low power mobile devices in the band is critical to expanding mesh.

2) Low power mesh requires non-exclusivity and cheap equipment. The Commission should not impose overly conservative interference protection criteria that drive up price. Flexibility has been critical to the success of unlicensed as a networking solution.

3) Mesh devices must be allowed to communicate with each other in a peer-to-peer fashion, rather than requiring mesh devices to communicate with a high power base station.

4) Any system of licensing or registration must be non-exclusive; the Commission must not create a “first in time, first in right” licensing systems.

Remember, things are turning our way, but your comments are still needed to build a record to counter Intel and others. The Proceeding Number is 04-151. You can file comments by going here.

Stay tuned . . .

Tales of the Sauasage Factory: My editorial on Muniwireless

Harold March 1, 2005 February 24, 2013General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

I’ve written an op ed that whether or not munies actually deploy systems, they need the option to keep the telco/cable duopoly from misbehaving. Available at:

http://www.muniwireless.com/archives/000601.html

stay tuned . . . .

Tales of the Sausage Factory: Last Gasp on Unlicensed Order

Harold February 28, 2005 February 24, 2013General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

As those who follow unlicensed proceedings at the FCC here know, the FCC has been considering opening up the 2650-3700 MHz band to unlicensed use. The rumor is that the FCC will vote on the item at its March 10 meeting. I have also heard that the item is not particularly friendly to mesh networks. We have until Wed. March 2, 2005, 5 p.m. Eastern Time to turn this around. Wanna help?

Tales of the Sausage Factory: Fight to keep the muni option open!

Harold February 23, 2005 February 24, 2013Tales of the Sausage Factory

I’m not saying that every municipality should have its own broadband network. I’m just saying every muni should have the _right_ to deploy the option. So Media Access Project and Free Press have put together a way for you to tell your state legislator and federal representative that they work for you, not their ILEC contributors, and that you, as a voter, don’t think you should have to kiss ILEC patootie to get broadband.

Tales of the Sausage Factory: A Win In Indiana!

Harold February 23, 2005 February 24, 2013Tales of the Sausage Factory

Sorry I’m behind, but there is a _lot_ going on. First, the good news: as reported Muniwireless and elsewhere, the Indiana anti-muni bill has gone down in flaming defeat!

Score one for the good guys and reinvigorate my faith in democracy. For more, see below . . .

Tales of the Sausage Factory: FCC on Wireless–Mostly Snooze But Some Stuff I Can Use

Harold February 14, 2005 February 24, 2013Tales of the Sausage Factory

Lost in all the hoopla last week on the Multicast Must Carry Vote (which I can explain in a future column) was the FCC’s Broadband Wireless Report. It’s conclusion – Wireless Broadband Is Good. Policy recommendations: Stay the Course.

Well, it’s a _bit_ more than that, but not much. See below….

Tales of the Sausage Factory: Rescue Orphan Works!

Harold February 3, 2005 February 24, 2013Tales of the Sausage Factory

The Copyright Office has begun an important proceeding on ways to allow works where copyright status cannot be determined (called “orphan works”) to become accessible to the public. The good folks at Public Knowledge have this useful blurb and links. For my take, see below . . .

Tales of the Sausage Factory: CUWIN Makes Cool Device

Harold February 2, 2005 February 24, 2013Tales of the Sausage Factory

The good folks at the Champaign Urbana Wireless Network have just relased a very cool open source program that, when attached to a device built with components you cna buy in any electronic store, become a node in a mesh network. For less that a grand, you can “unwire” a whole neighborhood. Their press release is reprinted below.

The great significance of this from a Sausage Factory point of view is that federal policy in this area is completely unprepared for the ability of a few folks ona shoe string to develop a new, disruptive technology. Spectrum policy is usually about big companies or well financed start ups. The “two guys in the garage” model is not usual in spectrum, because it is so tightly regulated. That unlicensed spectrum and open source free people to do this sort of thing is yet another good argument for more unlicensed spectrum.