back to article FCC under fire over TV, mobile broadband signal interference fears

Staff at the FCC, America's communications watchdog, have been accused of not doing enough to prevent TV broadcasts from interfering with mobile broadband signals. This comes as television stations in the US prepare to auction off some of their radio frequencies, which can then be used by cellphone networks to extend their …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    In my experience...

    ...The FCC and FTC are inept, disrespectful, negligent agencies wasting tax payer dollars. Every one of the clowns employed at these agencies should be permanently terminated from all government positions and required to get a real job in the private sector such as working at McDonald's or similar if they are qualified or can be properly trained. This includes the chair persons of these two agencies. They have embarrassingly failed the public in every conceivable manner possible while extorting millions of dollars in unearned compensation.

    1. asdf

      Re: In my experience...

      You should start with your rant with the SEC,and agencies overseeing mines and oil rights first. Those tend to be the most corrupt with an open revolving door to industry. Patent office also takes incompetence to a new level as well.

  2. Mage Silver badge

    place too many broadcast television stations in the wireless portion of the band.

    What?

    600MHz is a POINTLESS STUPID band for Mobile. Cellular needs small cells to have capacity. Cellular needs 850MHz to 2.5GHz to have controlled and decent propagation.

    The problem is MOBILE not TV. 600MHz is an excellent BROADCAST band. Rubbish for Mobile. Too uncontrollable cell size.

    This is greed.

    1. russsh

      Re: place too many broadcast television stations in the wireless portion of the band.

      +1 for telling half the story and -1 for missing the other half.

      Low frequencies are great for areas of low population density. Telstra's decision to pioneer 3G in the 850 MHz band made it a clear winner in coverage, a reputation it still enjoys today. (Just don't mention reliability right now.)

  3. Slx

    Ironically, the spectrum could be being choked up by people actually watching broadcast services via IP over mobile broadband.

    I'm constantly amazed at how many people I know here in Ireland who listen to stations that are easily available on FM and DAB who are streaming those stations over iPhones and android phones on 4G sucking up huge amounts of battery power on their commute.

    Plenty of people watching broadcast TV on Internet streams too, even though it's broadcasting on multiple platforms.

    1. Tom 13

      Re: I'm constantly amazed at how many people

      Don't be. It's what the cell phone companies want and Apple and Google have been happy to oblige.

      Oh, and I'll bet you'd be even more surprised at the number who text each other rather than call.

      1. Mike 16

        Re: I'm constantly amazed at how many people

        --- Oh, and I'll bet you'd be even more surprised at the number who text each other rather than call. ---

        Bandwidth and battery-wise, texting is more efficient that calling, IF the message is really just something like "Running 5 minutes late, see you at 5:35". Voice, as crappy as it has become via VOIP and digital mobile, still takes a fair bit of bandwidth/battery. Not as much as streaming the shopping channel in HD, mind you, but more than SMS, AFAICT.

  4. russsh

    To be totally fair

    Broadcast TV should bid for spectrum in competition with other uses, rather than being gifted an increasingly scarce and valuable resource.

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