Bill Gates urges U.S. to free up more spectrum for Wi-Fi

BILL GATES URGES US TO FREE UP MORE SPECTRUM FOR WI-FI
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Peter Kaplan]
Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates urged U.S. communications regulators on Thursday to free up more vacant television airwaves to be used for wireless services such as broadband Internet access. During an appearance before a Northern Virginia technology group, Gates said the so-called "white space" spectrum between analog broadcast channels could be used to expand access of wireless broadband service using Wi-Fi technology. "We're hopeful that that will be made available so that Wi-Fi can explode in terms of its usage, even out into some of these less dense areas (of the United States) where distance has been a big problem for Wi-Fi," Gates said in response to a question from the audience. Microsoft is part of a coalition of technology companies that has been lobbying the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to allow unlicensed use of white space spectrum. The group also includes Google Inc, Dell, Intel Corp, Hewlett-Packard Co and the north American unit of Philips Electronics. However, the idea is opposed by U.S. broadcasters and makers of wireless microphones, who fear the devices would cause interference.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN1332446720080313

* Gates: TV to Become Targeted Medium
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Matthew Barakat]
In a speech Thursday, Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates offered some predictions on the future of technology and said that ''TV will be based on the Internet; it will be an utterly different thing" with viewers able to select niche content for news, sports and entertainment.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2008/03/13/daily.10/