from the handouts-everywhere dept
From the large handout to already-wealthy Individuals to the possible deadly cuts to Medicaid, there’s lots to be disgusted by within the GOP Price range invoice accepted by Congress at present.
However there’s additionally a number of little items in there to companies that can possible fly below the radar, together with a large new handout of helpful federal wi-fi spectrum holdings to wi-fi giants like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Cellular. It’s simply the wi-fi {industry}’s newest reward for being completely feckless, sniveling boot lickers within the face of historic authoritarian corruption.
Senator Ted Cruz just lately killed a program to offer free Wi-Fi to poor, rural faculty youngsters as a result of the plan upset giant carriers like AT&T. That was adopted up by efforts to tug billions in federal funding from states that try any kind of AI oversight. Cruz’s newest telecom industry-friendly effort includes a large handout of helpful federal spectrum to wi-fi giants like AT&T.
Cruz’s plan may take frequencies away from Wi-Fi and different, extra publicly useful wi-fi efforts, and reallocate them for the unique use of wi-fi carriers:
“The Cruz plan may take 200 MHz or extra away from the 1,200 MHz presently allotted to Wi-Fi between 5.925 and seven.125 GHz. It may additionally take spectrum from the Residents Broadband Radio Service (CBRS), which works from 3.55 to three.7 GHz.”
Meaning probably slower Wi-Fi requirements total. The Wi-Fi 6E customary added assist for six GHz spectrum, and the in-development Wi-Fi 7 is meant to take full benefit of the band. Neither will wind up being as helpful, quick, and strong if Congress simply dumps an enormous trove of that spectrum into the lap of AT&T.
The transfer would possible be notably dangerous for efforts to offer main connectivity at locations the place lots of people collect, together with faculties and libraries. The transfer additionally has the potential to hurt Web of Issues (IOT) growth, given 6GHz’s explicit advantages for indoor wi-fi use.
It’s ironic (?) as a result of Trump’s first time period FCC boss Ajit Pai was key in allocating the 6 GHz band to Wi-Fi within the first place again in 2020. Now that he’s shifted over to being the highest lobbyist for the wi-fi {industry}, he’s enjoying a starring function in making certain this public useful resource is handed over to main carriers.
Earlier than Pai was a lobbyist, his FCC argued that “making the entire band obtainable for Wi-Fi “promotes extra environment friendly and productive use of the spectrum,” whereas “repurposing giant parts of the 6 GHz band for brand new licensed providers would diminish the advantages of such use to the American public.”
Humorous how a brand new job as a lobbyist modified his outlook. New Trump FCC boss Brendan Carr can also be busy making an attempt to switch an enormous swath of helpful spectrum from Dish Community (which the primary Trump FCC created as a distracted from {industry} consolidation) to Elon Musk’s Starlink Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite tv for pc broadband community.
Whereas wi-fi {industry} lobbyists insist the {industry} wants extra spectrum, privately, many carriers like AT&T are telling buyers they don’t really want it. They’re simply pushing for a significant chunk of 6 GHz spectrum as a result of they will, and due to Trump 2.0, we’ve entered the golden age of corruption the place the general public curiosity is the very last item on anyone’s thoughts.
Filed Beneath: 6ghz, broadband, corruption, cronyism, fcc, lobbying, revolving door, spectrum, telecom, wi-fi
