Microsoft has a plan for providing inexpensive broadband access to underserved areas of the U.S., and its president/chief legal officer Brad Smith just declared the company’s support for that plan. The company has long advocated the use of so-called TV white-space technology — unused TV spectrum — to bring broadband especially to rural areas. As part of the plan, Microsoft would also urge the Trump administration and Congress to make sure that unlicensed white-space spectrum is available in every market in the U.S. Continue reading Microsoft to Provide White-Space Broadband in Rural Areas

The Federal Communications Commission reports that the auction of 600 MHz broadcast TV spectrum in 2016 should cost about $226 million in administrative costs. The FCC finally released the rules relevant to the auction, after it postponed its vote on them in July. The auction will have two parts: first, the reverse auction, which enables broadcasters to accept opening bids if they want, and second, the forward auction in which wireless companies bid on TV spectrum that broadcasters release in the first auction. Continue reading FCC Says TV Spectrum Incentive Auction to Cost $226 Million

Technology leveraging unused TV spectrum is being positioned for commercialization, three years after approval by the FCC. This technology can be used to provide wireless broadband Internet in rural areas in the U.S. and in developing countries. In the U.S., there are at least 40 experimental installations operating, in addition to others in Singapore, Vietnam and African countries. These programs involve Google, Microsoft and local telecom companies. Continue reading Unused TV Spectrum Provides Broadband for Rural America