Communications

My Column has moved to NGN Magazine

"Next Wave Redux," which has appeared in Internet Telephony magazine for many years has moved.  I'm now writing for NGN Magazine.

With my attention focused on netBlazr, I wasn't in a position to do justice to Internet telephony topics.  I thought of abandonning the column entirely, but the folks at TMCnet urged me to move to a different magazine, more in line with my current focus.  Of course, the term NGN carries a lot of baggage which I address in my first article, NGN: ITU Misses the Boat, written last fall for the November 2010 issue.

If you followed by columns in Internet Telephony, you may want to sign up for electronic delivery of NGN magazine (i.e. via email), as the issues typically don't appear on the TMC website until a couple of months later.

Extending white spaces rules to other under-utilized spectrum

Few seem to have noticed, but the FCC has an open Notice of Inquiry in which, among other things, they say,

48.  ...  An alternative approach for enabling dynamic spectrum use is to extend the concepts underlying the rules for Television Band Devices to additional spectrum bands. ... Commenters should address whether they believe this concept is practical for other bands. If so, they should identify in which bands they believe such a system could work and provide details on how it would work.

Wow! 

This is action on Recommendation 5.13 in Section 5.6 of the FCC's National Broadband Plan.  While I'm generally disappointed with the National Broadband Plan, this is one place where there's a (perhaps remote) possibility for real long term progress.

As I've commented in the past, the largest value of the TV White Spaces ruling is that it provides a path for opening up more of our incredibly under-utilized spectrum.  This NOI is the first step.  Comments are due by February 28, 2011 and reply comments by March 28, 2011.  Directions and links are available on this Federal Register page.

Super Wi-Fi Summit, 4G Wireless Evolution and IT Expo

I’m in the midst of multiple co-located conferences, Super Wi-Fi Summit, 4G Wireless Evolution, IT Expo, all conveniently located in Miami, although I barely got here on Tuesday just ahead of a major storm in Boston.

At the Super Wi-Fi Summit, I gave a presentation about netBlazr.  This conference is focused on technologies for use in the newly available TV White Spaces spectrum, particularly Wi-Fi (802.11af). I told Carl Ford (the conference organizer) that netBlazr was using 5 GHz 802.11n, not TVWS, but he still wanted me to present the netBlazr story.

Disruptive broadband

View more presentations from Brough Turner.

Then, in the 4G Wireless Evolution Conference, Carl had asked me to give some perspective on when Over-the-Top applications will conquer all.  With all my attention focused on netBlazr, that was a little off topic, but I have views and opinions which I put together in this presentation.

Why Over-the-Top is the Future of Communications

View more presentations from Brough Turner.

Aside from my two presentations, I’ve met a lot of old friends and met several useful contacts for the future.  I’ve also met a number of wireless ISPs, both through the Super Wi-Fi Summit and through the WISPA booth on the show floor.  All in all, well worth the trip!