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The Primary Constraints on Fixed Wireless Coverage
and Performance are Regulatory, not Technological

  • Interference in Part 15 unlicensed "jungle" limits coverage and stability of unlicensed systems. A baby monitor can radiate as much as an access point serving dozens of broadband customers!

  • Current spectrum auction regime precludes small, local, and independent carriers from winning exclusively licensed spectrum, encourages spectrum "hoarding"

  • Dearth of non-exlusively ("lightly") licensed spectrum which is not polluted by consumer devices
    • Use of 3650 MHz prohibited in many areas
    • Only half the band is available
    • No spectrum etiquettes in that half
    • A band that's usable nationwide is necessary to create equipment economies of scale

  • Additional regulation ("wireless network neutrality") imposed for political rather than sound technical reasons would further encumber wireless deployment and could dramatically harm performance of some systems (e.g. 802.11b equipment on 802.11g networks)