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FCC puts 27MHz wireless spectrum in play

Ben Charny | May 17, 2002 9:30 PM PDT

Summary

Federal regulators have set ground rules for the commercial use of 27MHz of wireless spectrum that was once exclusively for use by the government. The Federal Communications Commission is expected to begin soliciting applications to license the spectrum in the next few weeks.

The bandwidth has attracted the interest of wireless start-ups like Itron, a Washington-based maker of wireless products used by petroleum companies to guard oil pipelines. Other interested companies include ArrayComm, which hopes to use the bandwidth for a high-speed wireless Internet service, and AeroAstro, which makes small satellites that can be used for wireless voice and data networks.

Wireless carriers like Sprint PCS and Verizon Wireless, which say they don't have enough spectrum to meet customer needs, will likely be discouraged by the new rules. --Ben Charny, Special to ZDNet News

Topics

Ben Charny
Federal regulators have set ground rules for the commercial use of 27MHz of wireless spectrum that was once exclusively for use by the government. The Federal Communications Commission is expected to begin soliciting applications to license the spectrum in the next few weeks.

The bandwidth has attracted the interest of wireless start-ups like Itron, a Washington-based maker of wireless products used by petroleum companies to guard oil pipelines. Other interested companies include ArrayComm, which hopes to use the bandwidth for a high-speed wireless Internet service, and AeroAstro, which makes small satellites that can be used for wireless voice and data networks.

Wireless carriers like Sprint PCS and Verizon Wireless, which say they don't have enough spectrum to meet customer needs, will likely be discouraged by the new rules. --Ben Charny, Special to ZDNet News

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