Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Senators introduce wireless broadband bill

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 14:40:28 -0500

Senators introduce wireless broadband bill

Senators George Allen (R.- VA) and Barbara Boxer (D.- CA) introduced legislation last
night to promote wireless deployment of broadband. The bill, called the Jumpstart
Broadband Act, calls for the FCC to allocate no less than 255 megahertz of contiguous
spectrum in the 5GHz band for unlicensed use by wireless broadband devices. The bill is
designed to help the proliferation of hot spots using the 5Ghz spectrum. The bill is also
designed to help the fledgling wireless standard, 802.11a, which uses the 5GHz spectrum,
by giving more contiguous spectrum to this format of Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi market is currently
dominated by standard 802.11b, which uses the 2.4GHz bandwidth. This bill could alter
the existing debate on the need for broadband access in rural areas. In the 107th
Congress, the broadband debate primarily focused only on two platforms, DSL and cable
and the regulatory treatment of those services. Wireless technology, like 802.11a Wi-Fi,
could provide a more cost-effective means for bringing broadband to the last mile.

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