New FCC wireless rules may reduce need to dig up streets to lay cable
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WASHINGTON (AP) -- Regulators adopted rules Thursday to promote the development of a new wireless technology that can send large amounts of information between buildings without the need to dig up streets to lay cables.
That technology, which is still under development, is the wireless equivalent of fiber-optic cables, using broadcast in narrow beams that avoid interference problems, said John Muleta, chief of the Federal Communications Commission's wireless bureau.
He said the technology could send large amounts of information between buildings on college campuses, for example.
The technology would operate in a large section of airwaves originally set aside for government use. Recent advances have made consumer uses possible.
"The highly advanced technology used here may encourage a broad range of new products and services," FCC Chairman Michael Powell said.
He said companies may eventually use this technology to compete with high-speed Internet services such as cable modems and broadband over phone lines.
The FCC plans to issue nationwide licenses to companies seeking to deploy the new service.
The FCC also adopted licensing and technical rules to promote the next generation of cell phones and wireless devices that provide faster Internet access and transmit video.
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