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More on spectrum allocation
I'm not sure how much our emphasis on individuals will go along with
Phil Agre's (and CPSR's, of which he's a prominent member) emphasis on
communities.
-Allen
From: IN%"[email protected]" 30-APR-1996 01:47:55.85
From: Phil Agre <[email protected]>
[The Apple proposal to the FCC is an important initiative for community
networking, and may set a precedent for much more dramatic restructuring
of telecommunications infrastructure in the future.]
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Date: Fri, 26 Apr 1996 16:24:44 -0400
From: Heather Boyles <[email protected]>
To: Multiple recipients of list <[email protected]>
Subject: FARNET's Washington Update
FARNET's Washington Update --- April 26, 1996
IN THIS ISSUE:
o 1996 Appropriations stalemate finally ends while FY97 appropriations
round heats up
o FCC proposes free spectrum for community networking
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
1996 APPROPRIATIONS STALEMATE FINALLY ENDS WHILE FY97 APPROPRIATIONS ROUND
HEATS UP
After months of negotiations and two partial government shutdowns, the
President and the Republican Congress finally came to agreement this week
on an omnibus spending bill for the remaining five months of FY96. The
bill includes appropriations for the NSF and Commerce among several other
agencies. At the same time, authorization and appropriations bills are
being worked through committees in the House for FY97 which begins on Oct.
1.
The final FY96 budget for NSF came to $3.22B --- $40M above what the House
and Senate had previously agreed upon this year. However, this week also
saw the House Science Committee authorize NSF spending for FY97 at only
$3.25B, a $75M cut from NSF's $3.325 request, which would give NSF less
than a 1% raise over FY96.
NSF has generally faired well amidst Republican (specifically House Science
Committee Chair Robert Walker (PA)) efforts to cut science spending for all
but what they define as "basic science." Democrats protested that the
omnibus science authorization bill passed out of the committee this week
was done too hastily, bypassing subcommittees for a one-day full committee
session. Ranking Science Committee member George Brown (D-CA) complained
that, among other things, "The Republican bill would eliminate the Social
Science directorate....[and make] arbitrary personnel cuts at the National
Science Foundation."
The Commerce Department's TIIAP (Information Infrastructure Grants) program
scraped by with an (anticipated) $21.5M for FY96.
FCC PROPOSES FREE SPECTRUM FOR COMMUNITY NETWORKING
Apple's NII Band petition which was filed almost a year ago at the FCC will
finally see some action there. The FCC today released a Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking that proposes to make 350 megahertz of spectrum available for
use by unlicensed equipment termed "NII/SUPERNet" devices. The Commission
voted 4-0 to release the proposal. The proposal comes after Apple Computer
petitioned the FCC last year to create a "NII Band" that would permit
high-speed data communications available to anyone without licensing or
air-time charges.
The FCC's NPRM would make spectrum from 5.25-5.35 GHz and 5.725-5.875 GHz
available to devices that would fall under Part 15 of FCC rules, mandating
only minimum technical standards and a basic "listen-before-talk" protocol
standard. The FCC would also place power and out-of-band emissions limits
on the devices, thus allowing only short-range (probably indoor or within
campus) networking.
The Apple petition last year advocated allowing users to use the devices
for long-range (community-based with particularly emphasis on rural areas)
communications. A rival group called the WINForum (made up of a number of
telecommunications companies) balked at the idea of long-range use of the
spectrum (which might cut into their businesses). Apple's long-range
proposal may not be dead yet though. Commissioner Ness, in a separate
statement on the NPRM, said she was "intrigued by the Apple long-haul
proposal, which contemplates low-cost broadband links from homes to schools
and libraries," but pointed to a number of questions that would need to be
resolved before the Commission could proceed with such a proposal.
The FCC clearly sees this proposal as an effort to help fulfill the
President's promise to connect every school in the country to the
"information superhighway." The NII/SUPERNet proposal is aimed at helping
schools and other institutions do that without having to go to the expense
of wiring entire buildings. Furthermore, the proposal may help take the
wind out of the sails of those who have recently been pressuring the FCC to
include inside wiring of schools in the universal service mechanism for
schools and libraries - the Snowe-Rockefeller-Kerry provisions from the new
telecom law.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Written from FARNET's Washington office, "FARNET's Washington Update" is a
service to FARNET members and other interested subscribers. We gratefully
acknowledge EDUCOM's NTTF and the Coalition for Networked Information for
additional support. If you would like more information about the Update or
would like to offer comments or suggestions, please contact Heather Boyles
at [email protected].
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Heather Boyles
Director, Policy and Special Projects phone: (202) 331-5342
FARNET, Inc. fax: (202)
872-4318
1112 16th Street, NW Suite 600 email: [email protected]
Washington, DC 20036 web: http://www.farnet.org
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