As ZDNews reports, the future of so-called third generation wireless data devices (3G) is looking grimmer after the attacks on NYC and DC, since the military will likely pressure the FCC for more spectrum space for defense purposes.
This is nothing new, of course, since the electromagnetic spectrum has always been viewed as an important military resource. The military and the young FCC clashed over the management of the spectrum in the early 1940s, when the military decided to make its own allocations without involving the FCC. This is one of the reasons that FM radio was actually moved from 40-44 Mhz band to the 88-108 Mhz band where it currently resides. This move instantly rendered obsolete transmitters and radios, which effectively stunted the growth of the band until the 1970s. This may be a “democratic” nation, but don’t mess with the military.
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