Lawrence Lessig/blog/2002/10/30/1037


 * Title: title::the next really important issue
 * Date: when posted::2002/10/30 10:37
 * Author: author::Lawrence Lessig
 * Source: lessig.org

Alot of us have been talking up the importance of spectrum policy, and about the extraordinary opportunity that free spectrum (or unlicensed spectrum) creates for the next great internet revolution. Sarah Lai Stirland has a great piece framing the debate. I think Michael Powell might get this. If he does the right thing, it could be the most important governmental decision affecting the internet in 40 years.

October 30, 2002 1:05 PM - Kevin Marks
Open spectrum common is a great principle, but educating the FCC about end-to-end is also important. Rather than arguing about whether things are communications services or information services, they should define a new category of connectivity services that is explicitly end-to end packet routing.

October 31, 2002 12:35 AM - Don Weightman
The story catches some of the giddy gold rush optimism about open spectrum. Of course you have to wonder about techno-utopianism for any standards-driven sector when MS is interested. (See the link in the weblog URL above for my; weblog still in beta.)

October 31, 2002 12:30 PM - Robert Greenberg
I also found this paper on Open Spectrum to be particularly enlightening.

I think digital radio technology will be the biggest technological factor since the Internet itself in the near future.

Facinating stuff.

October 31, 2002 1:57 PM - Aaron Swartz
Where can I get more information on the Open Spectrum Ad Hoc Consortium?

November 19, 2002 4:44 AM - Jay R. Ashworth
If Powell does *not*... will hams have to *pay* for their spectrum? Or is the government willing to consider a world without amateur radio...?

Cheers, -- jra

December 2, 2002 12:07 PM - LStirland
Why *40* years? What was the prior most important decision?