News EC plans wireless broadband for all

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/bits/2009/10/30/ec-plans-wireless-broadband-for-all/1

The European Commission has unveiled plans to use the freed up analogue TV spectrum to offer high-speed wireless broadband to all citizens.

 

It's not a bad idea, certainly. Whether it gets anywhere, after the bureaucrats have had a chance to mangle it is another matter entirely. Oh, and while 18-45 billion sounds like a lot, it really isn't. Bear in mind that the UK Govts. official 'debt' is currently 800 billion, rising to 1.4 trillion by next year... and if you take a more impartial estimate on the UK's debt, it stands now at 2.2 trillion. I can write the figure down, but I just can't comprehend that much in terms of money... not when an average person earns less than £25,000 a year.

 

And how would their antipiracy-suing-scheme work if everyone use a single open network? I must be missing something...

 

Where does the upstream come from?

 

does this mean everybody needs new network hardware?

 

Was wondering that myself, would everyone need to have their own RF transmitter?

 

I'm afraid the national debt i.e. Personal debt of individuals, is far higher. It already stand at £1.5 trillion. All this sort of info can be found here: http://www.creditaction.org.uk/debt-statistics.html If you want to make yourself sad about how in debt we all are ;P.

 

Thanks for that...

I think its a great idea - give it a go anyway.
Can't see upstreaming being any different then it is now..

 

I believe it works the same way data on a cell network works, just on a different spectrum. So yes you would need a radio for upsream.

 

How much is this going to cost us?
It's all very well and groovy the EU coming up with these ideas but it's our pockest it eventually comes out of, so how much is it going to cost me?

 

This is a good thing to raise taxes a little bit for. The Common Good!

 

okay you need to change the New sub titles from "Wireless broadband access for all!" to "Wireless broadband access for all in Europe!" ><

 

I an't quite understand how this would work goes above my head but how would the speeds be for uploading and downloading etc better or worse than now

 

And here we are. 20 yards away from a wire. that they won't run to me.

 

hmmm that interesting! well iphone on a good connection all the time a! might see what happens with this!

 

Like this will ever happen, too much polotics involved.

 

If wireless broadband was available everywhere, if you had a phone capable of accessing wireless networks what would be the point in a mobile phone contract (mobile phone system)? When we could just skype anyone we want for free? (well obviously paying for the wireless broadband service but not for individual calls).

 

This is part of the reason why it needs to go through the EC - licensing. Your 802.11 cards are tightly restricted to two 'ISL' bands that are unlicensed, and in sort-of the same fashion, mobile handsets are limited to specific frequency bands by license. So yes, the upstream frequency would certainly require its own radio in your CPE but it would of course be tightly locked to the frequencies allowed by the license given to your service provider.

It's only when you're allowed free reign across frequencies in the UK that you personally need to be a licensed operator.

I like the idea of re-using the analogue signal for this (or at least part of it) and LTE should make great use of it now and into the future, but I was still looking forward to having more HD channels over DVB-T2 in all fairness! There's always FreeSAT I suppose.

 

of course this is an EU directive. who knows if OFCOM are going to listen or just stick their fingers in their ears and go "la-la-la". They've done it before and will prob. do it again!

As for the rest of the world. ill stick with me sat internet for the time being, reliable and stable. I like the 3.5G dongle i have but it just cant compete when your stuck in the desert with no phone signal (which isnt THAT often to be honest these days).