MoD ponders super spectrum sale The UK's Ministry of Defense has detailed the process by which it's planning to switch radio-spectrum usage from Crown Immunity to Recognised Spectrum Access, a precursor for sharing or trading radio spectrum. The MoD is a huge user of radio spectrum; about 35 percent of the spectrum below 15GHz is allocated to it as the …
What does this actually mean? - I was taught that the EM spectrum frequency range is essentially infinite in both directions. So 35% of the particular infinity below 15GHz doesn't really make things very clear.
Unless it's "below" in wavelength terms, meaning it stops at infra-red, I suppose?
The MoD is about provisioning soldiers, fighting wars and defending the nation. It is not about trousers millions for arsehole consultant lawyers and accounts or turning itself into a profit making enterprise for same.
Oh, wait; I forgot we were run by Labour.
Ah well lads; no battle armour? Tough shit; at least the consultant for a fat bonus and the general a cushy directorship eh?
Bye-bye 70cms. Expect a lot of repeaters on FleaBay soon ;o)
BTW, your infinite EM spectrum, aside from any purely practical limits, stops at DC going down (in frequency). Going up there are limits too. Think Planck length and speed of light.
As always, proceed with this nonsense at flank speed, as invariably they will.
"I was taught that the EM spectrum frequency range is essentially infinite in both directions. So 35% of the particular infinity below 15GHz doesn't really make things very clear."
When people talk about 15GHz they mean either +15GHz or -15GHz. There is no measurable difference between them until you start talking about relative phase, and I'm guessing you didn't get to that chapter yet.
So 35% of the spectrum below 15GHz means 35% of the spectrum from 0Hz to 15GHz or 35% of the spectrum between -15GHz and +15GHz. It does not mean 35% of the spectrum from 15GHz down to minus infinity.
So what are the chances of the Treasury actually allowing MoD to hang on to the cash and spend it on carriers and aircraft? Zero I'd say, especially in today's financial climate. Just imagine if the MoD manages to raise a few billion from the sell off. Do you think Brown/Darling won't notice that amount and say "you don't need all that, hand over the dosh".
I hope a new model with a piloted exemplar evolves.
Personally I prefer the follwoing principles:
+ public property was, is and always shall be public property
+ commercial realization on public property should have a free (as in totally free) access to whatever it is
+ changes or revertion back to public management will mean that the original stuff and any modifications to it, revert too
The ideas is to get the best service provider rather than the one that pays most. For why? Well inflationary tax by proxy is a good start to avoid.
If they don't need it then surely the government should take it back and decide what to do with it. Underfunded or overfunded just letting the MOD flog a national resource and trouser the cash to spend on god know what is profoundly antidemocratic, things like that ought to pass through parliament in some meaningful form.
I quote: "as well as how the Ministry intends to approach migrating the rest of its holding." The MoD are the primary users of 70cms. Not that I'm worried at all, you understand. 70cms has, for a long time, been a vast chunk of poorly utilised spectrum full of repeaters and not much else. There's also the LPD telemetry and telecommand band right smack-bang in the middle of the FM section, which complicates things. There was a resurgence of ATV for a while, but even that seems to have died a death (thank ${DEITY}. Have you any idea how many of the "appearance deficit community" have amateur licences?) and moved up to 23cms and above.
Never mind. At least we agree on something. The future of radio is up in the microwaves. I'll almost guarantee you'll not get an allocation at 8cms, though. WiMAX and FWA will see that become lucrative RF real estate fairly quickly, especially with this "high speed broadband to every home that wants it" idea and Duffcom love the smell of money in the morning.
Who cares?
Will there *really* be a market for more spectrum? Didn't the mobile companies bid a fuckton of cash for spectrum, only to find the that buying public seriously couldn't give a shit about watching Eastenders on a 1 inch square screen on the tube on the way home from work. Who's going to buy it? And if they do, what are they going to do with it. I think the public have very aptly deomstrated their apathy towards mobile 'services'.
To put it another way: ZZZZZzzzzzzz......
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