| Can we have our cake and eat it too (rural and urban bb) I wonder if it wouldn't be wise to have a two-part system for the use of the spectrum allocated to data services in 700MHz.
One portion would allow rural providers (wisp or other rural broadband using 700MHz for their BACKHAUL) to use focused, directional systems that need to either fit within a spec or be licensed. Backhaul is a major issue because if any large data pipe (i.e. T-1 to DS-3) is available, it will be insanely expensive. This would allow them to have long distance links to cheaper PoP's.
In tandem, there is licensed and unlicensed use of the 700MHz spectrum for local, low/medium power point multipoint devices. I.E. licensed CDMA, IDEN, Wimax segments combined with unlicensed segments for things we currently put in the ISM band, but perhaps with a restriction to narrow it to data-only devices.
If this kind of overlay is possible, it would allow a diversity of use, and use the lower frequency to increase signal range and penetration. Personally, I'm more skilled with FTTN/FTTC/VDSL/VDSL2 and the technical challenges of telcos, so I don't know if that kind of spectrum use is possible and more importantly, practical. |
