General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: FCC Proposes Groundbreaking Free Public Wi-Fi Throughout United States; Mobile Companies Protest [View all]mwooldri
(10,303 posts)Reference: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-12-118A1.pdf
The FCC wants to reallocate TV broadcast signals to be used for wireless broadband. As a result, some stations will have to change their broadcast frequency, become a .2 on another TV station, or cease terrestrial broadcasting altogether. This has effectively been decided that this will happen - sooner or later - and not just in the USA.
Right now it's a case of how to "repackage" the TV broadcast spectrum to keep as many existing stations who want to continue to be on the air broadcasting, and what the new frequency space will be used for. It screws over low-powered community TV stations (still reeling from the analog to digital transition), and reduces choice for the 10 million + people who get their TV only by an antenna. However if AT&T and Verizon get their way, they then have the ability to charge a lot of extra money for even faster 4G-LTE access. On a new device, of course.