It looks like rural cell phone providers will get their wish, or at least a stay of execution - a vote on a big revamp of the structure of the telecom industry has been put off until December, when a lame duck FCC will presumably be too busy getting their resumes in order to make any big decisions.
But despite the best efforts of strange bedfellows Dolly Parton and Axl Rose, it appears that FCC Chair Kevin Martin hasn't buckled on at least one point - the vote on whether to allow white space between TV channels to be and used for wireless computing, a move that could mark a great leap forward in broadband accessibility, will take place tomorrow. With proof-of-concept results arriving last month that demonstrated that wireless computing could, with proper safeguards in place, take place on the 'white space' spectrum without interfering with TV or wireless microphone signals, the FCC looks poised to open the spectrum and allow comunications companies to start playing in a new sandbox.
The upside is that higher quality internet access could be provided to underserved communities across the nation. The downside is that the wireless microphones used by NFL coaches and evangelical mega-church pastors may be adversely affected, making for more exciting, entertaining Sundays all around. Sounds like a chance worth taking.
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