Are You a Naysayer?

That's not exactly true. In reality, you could get together with your
neighbor and agree to an informal "spectrum allocation agreement." He
configures his system on channel 1 and you configure yours on channel
11. In fact, this very type of "voluntary regulation" is just what the
FCC and other regulators are hoping will happen. If it works, it's truly
liberating: Buy it; install it; run it. No red tape. And when service
providers get together to work out potential interference issues on
their own, the FCC says that-a-boy, go get 'em. At last week's Broadband
Access Network Coordination (BANC) meeting in San Francisco, FCC
Chairman Michael Powell made the following statement:

"Unlicensed uses and Wi-Fi have far exceeded what any one expected, and
have disproved the many naysayers. In fact, during my seven years at the
FCC, I have heard many predictions -- most of what I was told was not
possible is now in commercial production. The FCC does not want to be
the arbiter of what does or does not work. Instead, we should strive to
facilitate innovation, and make sure that we do not get in the way."

Clearly, the FCC and its supporters are a little defensive about this
issue. They're frustrated when critics look at the current regulatory
environment and contemplate issues of scale and wonder about
interference. If we're really in the early days of the wireless data
revolution, how can we possibly avoid the consequences of interference
once the technology really catches on? Just because a system works today
in limited rollout, doesn't mean it will work tomorrow in an era of mass
adoption. And given the possibility of interference, can organizations
with high-availability mandates really include unlicensed radio in their
network portfolio? Would an executive responsible for risk assessment
ever sign off on this if presented with a balanced technical analysis?

Defenders of the commercial unlicensed radio data market yell hooey.
Just take a look at the many success stories out there that prove the
technology's viability. In the local area, there are many examples of
wireless LANs with thousands of users. And in the wide area, service
providers rely on the technology for cellular back-haul and emergency
service organizations use it for a variety of functions, including
fighting wildfires. They're right. The technology is working today,
providing essential data service to people all across the country and
beyond.