White House plans to free up 500MHz of spectrum, bring 4G to 98% of Americans
Big tech news out of the White House today: President Obama has announced plans to expand wireless access across the United States with some serious initiatives.
The intention behind the proposal is to realize the benefits of speedier 4G networks for everything from spurring innovation to public safety alerts. Here's a rundown on the big points:
- Free up 500MHz of spectrum for mobile broadband use (i.e. smartphones, laptops, etc.) in the next 10 years (Estimated to raise $27.8 billion)
- $3 billion of those spectrum funds raised will go to "research and development of emerging wireless technologies"
- Bring 4G access to at least 98% of Americans (leaving out some rural areas; one-time investment of $5 billion)
If all goes to plan, these initiatives should help cut the U.S. deficit by $9.6 billion over the following decade. Do you think it's possible?
Boosting 4G networks nationwide could provide many benefits, but it runs the risk of costing more money that we can afford right now. Nevertheless, we don't want the U.S. to fall behind the rest of the world when it comes to 4G and wireless technology. (Just look at what has happened with high-speed rail.) Do you think this the White House is putting too much of a focus here or not enough?
Before you answer, here's the White House press release in full so that you can get a better understanding of the projects.