[wirelesstoronto-discuss] [wirelesstoronto-board] WHITE SPACE = PUBLIC DOMAIN IN CANADA

[Andrew Cagney]

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/NEWS/RELEASES/2008/r081030.htm

It is disappointing.  One personal nit is that they appear to be allowing cable companies to re-define "basic cable" to require the customer to either buy or rent a digital set-top-box when one isn't needed (c.f. rogers switching off its clear QAM signals).  Contrast this to the US where relayed free-to-air digital, just like free-to-air analog, is available unencrypted over basic cable and can be received using any modern digital TV.

Perhaps the free-to-air broadcasters will force the issue, since their request to charge the cable companies for the re-broadcast of their signals was rejected, they won't be so happy with a cable company charging extra for it.

Andrew




________________________________
From: jason roks <jason at wirelesstoronto.ca>
To: Discussion list for wirelesstoronto. <wirelesstoronto-discuss at wirelesstoronto.ca>
Cc: wifiTO <wirelesstoronto-board at wirelesstoronto.ca>
Sent: Thursday, November 6, 2008 12:33:34 PM
Subject: [wirelesstoronto-board] WHITE SPACE = PUBLIC DOMAIN IN CANADA


Love to get the thoughts of people on this list on the recent announcement from CRTC.
 
There was an announcement this morning on the radio that the CRTC has deemed the white space (wavelengths/spectrums between TV channels that you used to see when you changes channels using knobs) as public domain -- very interesting!
 
=j


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