Would you like some mandatory data retention with that?
I don't think they will have many interested buyers because the potential cost of building up such a free network would be huge. Probably a lot more than the spectrum that is being sold is really worth. I would imagine the cost to cover just the South would be well into a few billion dollars, and the majority of the space between the coasts would be just a blackhole of investment like it is for most telecoms.
Of course, if this sort of thing were to succeed, the FCC would, no doubt, quickly slip in a data retention mandate in there to make it easier for law enforcement to spy on the public. This is one of the reasons why I have never been a fan of municipal wifi. Any network that closely tied to a government authority or mandate is bound to be easily monitored by every Tom, Dick and Harry on the government's payroll.
WASHINGTON--The Federal Communications Commission on Friday said it wants to auction a section of wireless airwaves to buyers willing to provide free broadband Internet service without pornography.
I don't think they will have many interested buyers because the potential cost of building up such a free network would be huge. Probably a lot more than the spectrum that is being sold is really worth. I would imagine the cost to cover just the South would be well into a few billion dollars, and the majority of the space between the coasts would be just a blackhole of investment like it is for most telecoms.
Of course, if this sort of thing were to succeed, the FCC would, no doubt, quickly slip in a data retention mandate in there to make it easier for law enforcement to spy on the public. This is one of the reasons why I have never been a fan of municipal wifi. Any network that closely tied to a government authority or mandate is bound to be easily monitored by every Tom, Dick and Harry on the government's payroll.
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The government monitor us? Come on, they wouldn't do that..... oh, wait..... never mind.
If it was to be free it would HAVE to be pr0n free. If not it would be overloaded.
Oh, and the data retention is not for spying on Americans. Repeat after me "There are NO black helicopters" Data Retention would only be required to provide our sainted Law Enforcement Officers a tool to go after eeeevil terrorists!