On January 9, 1997, the Federal Communications Commission announced that it was giving US$30 billion worth of radio spectrum back to the American public - for free.
Despite FCC chair Reed Hundt's appetite for spectrum auction proceeds - like the $7.7 billion raised in 1995 for PCS licenses - his commission granted 300 MHz of spectrum in the 5-GHz range for use by a new class of unlicensed National Information Infrastructuredevices. Known as the U-NII spectrum, it can be used for wireless local area networks and community links spanning 8 to 9 kilometers, providing a critical, cheaper alternative for schools, organizations, and individuals.
Following 20 months of lobbying by Apple (for community networks), WINForum (for low-power wireless LANs), and telecom foes (against anything "free"), the FCC's move is expected to launch strong demand for digital radio devices.
"Unlicensed spectrum can provide an opportunity for innovation that will teach us whether this is pie in the sky or part of the 21st-century reality," says Hundt. "Who knows? Certainly not me."
ELECTRIC WORD
Free Wireless Spectrum
