It has been true for a long time that the FCC’s spectrum policies have largely protected incumbents and prevented serious competition with telcos and cable companies for the "last mile." That could change if and when the agency allocated more of the airwaves for unlicensed uses, like WiFi.
In pushing this result for so-called "white spaces" in the TV band, the space between over-the-air broadcast channels, Google has earned the wrath, naturally, of the National Association of Broadcasters. The company’s official response to the FCC, courtesy of in-house Washington telecom counsel Rick Whitt, is cogent and dead-on.
Technological innovation, and the significant changes it brings, can be a scary prospect for some. . . . But it should not be the government’s role to protect the status quo, especially by blocking access to the new.
Google Pushes FCC to Develop TV Airwaves for Web Access [WSJ.com]. Well said, Rick.