FCC Extends Comment Deadline on White Space Issue

UPDATE: It happened. The FCC voted to open up the whitespaces for UNLICENSED USE (full post here).

The FCC extended the deadline until this Friday, Oct. 31, at 5:30 PM ET for comments on the proposal to open up so called TV white spaces for UNLICENSED use; the old deadline was Tuesday; so, if you missed it, you still have time.

Despite efforts by opponents to get the issue dropped from the agenda (delay with intent to kill; a post-election FCC might start all over), the issue IS on the agenda for the 11:00 AM meeting on November 4^th which the FCC published last night. The meeting itself will be broadcast live at http://www.fcc.gov/realaudio.

Unlicensed access to this valuable spectrum can help the US regain the lead in Internet innovation, strengthen all American businesses, help American students, and go a long way to solving the problem of rural access to the Internet as well as vastly improving urban access. High bandwidth at low prices is not good news either to existing TV broadcasters (who are already worried about content competition from the Internet) nor to existing duopoly providers of expensive slow access. The lobbying against this proposal is fierce but public input appears to be making a difference.

You can sign (or modify) an online petition provided by Google here or e-comment directly with the FCC at http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/upload_v2.cgi – docket 04-186. Remember, the deadline in now Friday at 5:30 PM!

More detail:

The Other Vote on November 4th

Act Now for Better Internet Access