FCC loves the consumer – NOT!

By raheem

What the heck is up with the FCC protecting the cellphone companies? I was hoping they would make a bold statement this past Tuesday and really open up the 700MHz spectrum for all devices and perhaps even all software. Instead, they have opted for the winner of the spectrum to devote a certain segment for open access. Its some sort of sissy middle ground to keep the cellular giants (ATT, Verizon) happy and also give consumers some choice! What are they thinking?

For all these years, the FCC has not done what it should have with the cellular spectrum. Can you imagine what would have happened to the NET if the government decided way back in 1994 to allow only a select few companies to sell internet service and only on technologies that they chose? It would have resulted in scenarios like the internet would be available only on say, Dell computers, or that if you got an HP computer, you could only run Yahoo email. Isn’t that eerily similar to the current state of cellphone service?

That’s the kind of consumer choice the FCC has been protecting for all these years and this week, there was a chance to get it right and open up the entire 700MHz to open access. What would have been the implications of such a move? Perhaps that if you switched cell phone service you would not have to give up your old cellphone? Or that, wireless broadband service would be more widely available? Or that you could use the iPhone with any cellular company. Or that you could download an iTunes song or hey, even a YouTube clip in 2 seconds!

Honestly, the only thing the FCC got right was that they approved a nationwide, first responder’s network. But… come on… this is 2007. Shouldn’t we have had this in 2000?