FCC delays free spectrum proposal

The FCC’s plan to offer free high-speed wireless Internet all across the country has apparently hit its first snag. Commission chairman, Kevin Martin, has announced that the proposal will not be voted during a June 12 meeting as initially scheduled and will instead be postponed until July.

Apparently, the decision to delay the vote comes amid concerns from wireless carriers that the spectrum could interfere with frequencies already in use and thus degrade the quality of existing mobile services – or perhaps they’re just not keen on the idea of a free service ‘interfering’ with their profit margins. The operators asked the FCC to offer more time and transparency into the technical details so that they can ensure existing services won't be affected.

Meanwhile, free speech advocates are apparently also up in arms over a part of the proposal that calls for a filter to prevent users from viewing content deemed unacceptable or obscene by regulators. However, Martin said he is not opposed to the idea of allowing adults to opt out of the obscenity filter.