Technically Speaking: Computer Power User Magazine Interview With Sascha Meinrath.

Folks over at Computer Power User magazine recently interviewed me for their December 2008 issue. Here's the teaser:

Technically Speaking

Interview With Sascha Meinrath, Research Director, New American Foundation Wireless Future Program

From: www.computerpoweruser.com
February 2009 • Vol.9 Issue 2
Page(s) 102-104 in print issue


Sascha Meinrath is the research director of the New America Foundation’s Wireless Future Program and coordinates the Foundation’s Open Technology Initiative. He is an expert on municipal broadband, community wireless networks, and telecommunications policy. He blogs regularly at www.saschameinrath.com.

by Barry Brenesal

CPU: This month, it’ll have been legally mandated that all high-power television broadcasts in the United States will be digital, between 54 and 698MHz. Because TV stations have “guard bands” separating broadcast frequencies, there are so-called “white spaces” between many channels. They’ve fueled a furious debate over who will control all this prime broadcast real estate. In early November 2008, the FCC finally ruled in favor of those who wanted unlicensed public access.

Meanwhile, referring to the furious debate that was waged for years over this issue, a former chief engineer of the FCC, Ed Thomas, described it as “basically a lobbying food fight.” Do you consider that a fair description?

Meinrath: Certainly on one side, you have lobbyists for the National Association of Broadcasters, and on the other side, for Microsoft and Google. But you also have a lot of community organizers, advocates, public interest groups, consumer rights groups, and WISPs (wireless Internet service providers) fighting beside high-tech industry. So while a lobbying food fight places things in its simplest terms, there’s a much larger coalition on the side fighting for white space devices. It’s also the case that if it was....