On Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:48:57 -0800, David Nebenzahl wrote:


So what are they going to use those old VHF
channels for, do you know?

It's my understanding they will be used for wireless networking. One
problem with 802.11 at 2.4GHz (which I currently use over longish
distances [2-7 miles] here in rural Oregon) is that the signal won't go
thru trees. VHF doesn't have that problem. VHF will also go thru most
building walls.

I find it interesting that nobody seems to be commenting on one
important aspect of this whole deal, which is that we, the people (you
remember that phrase, right?), who own these bands as (formerly) public
communications pathways, are being given a take-it-or-leave-it
proposition where they might (or probably will) end up in private hands.
This would have caused outrage maybe 20-30 years ago, and someone may
have even demanded an FCC investigation, but at this point, all we can
do is throw our hands in the air, roll over and play dead.

The licenses for those VHF freqs should be transferred from TV to
Internet Service Providers, especially in rural areas. It's almost always
in private hands. Except for military, the US Govt doesn't do all that
much broadcasting compared to civilian uses. Private hands? You mean like
Amateur, or CB, or GPRS?