By Alan J. Weissberger, alan at viodi.com
When the US government ordered the transition to digital TV by Feb. 19, 2009, it did so to reclaim radio spectrum and reallocate the frequencies to public safety organizations and commercial broadband networks. In particular, frequencies until now used by UHF television are being opened up by the move to digital TV.
Frontline Wireless, a company formed earlier this year by former FCC chairman Reed E. Hundt, is one of several potential bidders for spectrum in the 700 MHz band. Cellular carriers and their rivals covet the spectrum because it has significant capacity and greater range and can easily penetrate buildings and other structures.
Mr. Hundt said that Frontline had begun building an investor group, which would ultimately include large banking partners, to participate in the auction. The investment group (made up of VC luminaries) is promoting a plan that would use technologies flexible enough to support both next-generation wireless Internet access and public safety emergency communications.
Frontline’s new partners include legendary high-tech entrepreneur James L. Barksdale, software radio technology innovator Vanu Bose, and L. John Doerr for the venture capital firm of Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers (“Kleiner Perkins”). They are joining Ram Shriram, Managing Partner of venture investment company Sherpalo Ventures, as Frontline investor group partners.
Frontline’s backers argue that their plan is unique because it would be more accessible than today’s commercial wireless networks, which are tightly controlled by their licensed operators. Frontline proposes to create a large spectrum block that could be sold wholesale to companies that are building services for new portable Internet devices for receiving and transmitting voice, video and data. In the event of public safety emergencies, however, the police, firefighters or medical emergency workers could reclaim the spectrum for use.
The auction, which will be governed by rules that the F.C.C. is expected to issue this month, could generate up to $30 billion in revenue for the federal government, by some estimates. All sides are watching the rule-making process closely because those regulations will determine whether several ideas for exploiting the spectrum with advanced technologies will be accepted.
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[Note, Alan J. Weissberger has begun a multi-client research study on the technical challenges, security issues, and economic realities of VoIP over Mobile WiMAX. Please contact him ([email protected]) if you are interested in funding the study and obtaining the results.]
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