TV Airwaves To Deliver Internet? 115
roscoetoon directs our attention to a proposal from an odd assortment of tech companies — Google, Microsoft, H-P, Intel, and others — to reuse TV wavelengths to deliver first-mile connectivity. The Washington Post article is subtitled "Cable, Phone Companies Watch Warily." As well they might. One of the big content companies that the incumbent duopolists propose to soak by dismantling network neutrality, in company with some powerful allies, is striking back at the heart of their business.
Article is a little light on details. (Score:5, Interesting)
well (Score:3, Interesting)
Is this like satellite internet? (Score:3, Interesting)
As hard a problem as in 1988 (Score:5, Interesting)
First Mile vs. Last Mile (Score:5, Interesting)
so (Score:4, Interesting)
Last i checked, TCP was a 2 way communication for every message. Every packet is sent and gets an acknowledgment or some message if not received (like only go 13 out of 15 packets). Also, last i checked, my computer doesn't currently have the equipment to transmit television signal over a mile. So, how are those packets going to be sent back? Cable? Phone line? Unless google finds a way to deliver the internet via a non tcp/ip format or puts a 1.21 gigawatt antenna in every home, the whole error checking feature of tcp/ip is going to keep a bit of fat for the phone/cable companies.
Re:Even earlier (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:What??? (Score:3, Interesting)
All this is, is just another method of data transmission. Satellite (SKY) has been broadcasting data down to customers for years. A digital terrestial broadcast is no different, there isn't really that much difference between packets of video data, and data.
I believe upstream is provided by a phoneline. Interestingly and perhaps worthy of paranoia is what stops someone from recieving the packets meant for you? since it is a broadcast after all possibly millions will recieve data meant for you just most won't be able to decrypt it.
Bit torrent could become extremely fast if its possible to harvest all the blocks on the signal potentially you could be recieving up to the whole swarms packets. I wonder if its possible to listen only or would it be the digital equivilent of a paper shredder lots of meaningless bits.
It is possible to take in a raw mpeg-ts stream and record more than one channel at the same time.
Re:Is this like satellite internet? (Score:1, Interesting)
The problem with it though, is the weather. If it's foggy, the connection constantly drops. If it's raining anywhere between our tower and theirs, the connection constantly drops. If it's very cloudy, the connection constantly drops.
I wonder if this would be similar.