We’ve talked before about white space broadband and its obstacles. Basically, the National Association of Broadcasters was suing because old people fear the Internet, and the NAB was terrified of white space broadband interrupting its signals and realizing that nobody actually cared about the “King of Queens” repeats and infomercials they were broadcasting.
But even they have finally bowed to the inevitable:
The NAB sued the FCC in 2009 to stop the white spaces rollout, and the case has been working through the courts ever since. The trade group argued that white spaces technology “will have a direct adverse impact on… NAB’s members because it will allow harmful interference with reception of their broadcast signals.”
But on Thursday, the NAB filed a motion asking the courts to dismiss its own case. The organization said that the FCC addressed its concerns in a recent order, making the lawsuit unnecessary.
In short, now the only thing standing between you and getting wireless signals wherever you go, no matter where you are, is technology: white space broadband companies have to figure out what space is available in which markets, and get the gear set up.
But your days of having to mooch WiFi off your neighbors are numbered, and you and your neighbors are both probably relieved.
(Image courtesy Shaorang on Flickr)