The British Radio Telecommunications Agency is seeking comments from the public on a proposal to re-allocate the GSM guardbands for unlicensed or differently regulated uses, including WiFi-style data. Pretty exciting stuff, as it open the possibility of modding GSM handsets (cheap as hell) to do unlicensed data comms. British? Interested? Read the consultation and send in a comment to the Agency. The more the merrier.
Question 1: Given the other potential uses outlined in this document, do you consider it most appropriate to make the spectrum available for wide-area public use?
Question 2: If your answer to question 1 is yes, do you consider it most appropriate for the spectrum to be used to supplement the spectrum of the existing GSM operators, or to be made available for potential new GSM operators on a regional or national basis?
Question 3: If your answers to questions 1 and 2 are yes, do you consider it most appropriate for the spectrum to be awarded via an auction process?
Question 4: Given the other potential uses outlined in this document, do you consider it most appropriate to make the spectrum available for short-range, low-power GSM use on a licence-exempt basis?
Question 5: If your answer to question 4 is yes, what kinds of application do you anticipate will develop? Estimates of potential market size and anticipated penetration would also be useful.
Question 6: If your answer to question 4 is yes, should the use of this spectrum for the provision of public services be allowed?
(Thanks, Julian!)
