Program Links
Featured Publications
Citizens Guide to the AirwavesA Graphic Depiction of the Uses -- and Misuses -- of the Radiofrequency Spectrum
The Art of Spectrum LobbyingAmerica's $480 Billion Spectrum Giveaway, How it Happened, and How to Prevent it from Recurring
The Cartoon Guide to Federal Spectrum PolicyWhat if the Government Regulated Spoken Words the Way It Regulates the Airwaves?
No Windfall in the White Space
Wasted White Space
Rather than a windfall, a one-time auction of licenses useful for commercial services would provide negligible revenue to the Treasury, while simultaneously ensuring that most of this unused "beachfront" spectrum will remain unused, stifling innovation that could generate far more long-term economic growth and benefits. Given the need for expanded interference protections for higher-power licensed use, many of thethe nation's most populous metropolitan areas would have little or no useable white space available for an auction.
The working paper can be found here.
Free the Airwaves
New America's Michael Calabrese and Sascha Meinrath contributed to Google's "Free the Airwaves" campaign, urging the FCC to open up unused TV channels for wireless broadband and other consumer devices.
Video from Michael Calabrese
Video from Sascha Meinrath
Since 2004, the Wireless Future Program has been a leading advocate for opening vacant and unassigned television channels, also known as the TV "white spaces", for unlicensed use. Unlicensed access to the "white spaces" would provide rocket fuel for rural broadband and community/municipal wireless networks and spur enormous technological innovation in wireless communications. For additional resources and information, see the following New America publications and FCC filings:
- There is No Windfall in the White Space: The Economics of Auctioning the DTV White Space
- Rural Broadband and the TV White Space
- White Space Devices & The Battle Over Innnovation
- Broadcast to Broadband
- Unlicensed White Space Devices and Myth of Interference
- Populating the Vacant Channels
- Reclaiming the Vast Wasteland
- Myth vs. Fact: The Rhetoric and Reality of Progress in Allocating More Spectrum for Unlicensed Use
- Wireless Public Safety Data Networks Operating on Unlicensed Airwaves
- Technical Reply Comments to FCC on TV White Spaces NPRM
- Economic/Legal Reply Comments to FCC on TV White Spaces NPRM
- Technical Comments on Further NPRM for Unlicensed Access to TV White Space
- Economic/Legal Comments on Further NPRM for Unlicensed Access to TV White Spaces
New & Noteworthy Publications
- There is No Windfall in the White Space: The Economics of Auctioning the DTV White Space (September 2008)
- PISC Comments Regarding FCC Mobile Roaming Rules (August 2008)
- PISC Petition to Deny or Dismiss Merger of Verizon and Alltel Wireless (August 2008)
- PISC Opposition to AT&T's Petition to Deny Sprint/Clearwire Joint Venture (August 2008)
- Informal Complaint and Petition for Rulemaking Re: Wireless Mics (July 2008)
- Rural Broadband and the TV White Space (June 2008)
- White Space Devices & The Battle Over Innnovation (June 2008)
- PISC Comments on Re-auction of the D Block (June 2008)
- PISC Comments on Free National Wireless Broadband Service in 2155 - 2175 Band (June 2008)
- Reply Comments on Comprehensive High Cost Universal Service Reform (June 2008)
- PISC Comments Supporting Google's Motion to Condition Grant Re: 700 MHz C Block Spectrum Licensees (May 2008)
- Reply Comments in Declaratoy Ruling of Text Messaging and Short Codes (April 2008)
- Unlicensed White Space Devices and Myth of Interference (March 2008)
- Wireless Pittsburgh: Sustainability of Possible Models for a Wireless Metropolitan-Area Network (February 2008)
- Wireless Carterfone: A Long Overdue Policy Promoting Consumer Choice and Competition (January 2008)
- The Philadelphia Story: Learning from a Municipal Wireless Pioneer (December 2007)
Events
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| OneWeb Day 2008 | September 22, 2008 |
| Broadband Revolution | June 23, 2008 |
| International Summit for Community Wireless Networks 2008 | May 28, 2008 |
| Google Unwired | May 22, 2008 |
| The Power of Organizing Without Organizations | March 6, 2008 |
| The Future of Municipal Wireless | February 6, 2008 |
| 'Free My Phone!' | January 22, 2008 |
| The Philadelphia Story: Learning from a Municipal Wireless Pioneer | December 11, 2007 |
| Driving Wireless Broadband and Innovation | October 2, 2007 |
| America's $480 Billion Spectrum Giveaway | July 17, 2007 |
About Us
The American people collectively own the most valuable resource of the emerging information economy: the airwaves, also known as the radio frequency spectrum. Yet our nation’s antiquated spectrum policies create an artificial scarcity that reduces innovation and competition, inhibits the rapid deployment of universal wireless broadband services, sacrifices billions of dollars of revenue, constrains citizen access to the airwaves and erodes the public interest obligations of broadcasters and other licensees. The purpose of the Wireless Future Program is to promote fair and efficient use of the airwaves in order to unlock the full potential of the emerging wireless era for all Americans.
A more-detailed program description is available here.
Program Staff
- Michael Calabrese
Vice President and Director, Wireless Future Program - Sascha Meinrath
Research Director, Wireless Future Program - Benjamin Lennett
Senior Program Associate, Wireless Future Program - Cecille Isidro
Assistant to the Research Director - Victor Pickard
Google Fellow - Russ Newman
Annenberg Fellow
