The Federal Communications Commission has released an engineering report that opens the door for the FCC to apportion a chunk of wireless spectrum for free Net services across the nation.

“We need to reserve some spectrum for free broadband services,” FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said. “This would be a lifeline broadband service that would be designed for lower-income folks who may not otherwise have access to the Web.”

T-Mobile had warned that the FCC’s proposed launch of an

advanced wireless service (AWS) in the 2155-MHz to 2180-MHz band would interfere with the 3G wireless services it operates in an adjacent slice of the spectrum. However, lab tests conducted last month demonstrated that devices operating at FCC-designated potential levels would not present “a significant risk of harmful interference,” the commission said.

Open Devices

Several aspects of the FCC’s AWS proposal owe their origin to an application submitted two years ago […]

Orginal post by dhiram