Alex Brown

Indiana making waves on bridging broadband gap

While Indiana continues to battle the digital divide–the gap between those who have and don’t have broadband access–there are significant signs of progress. State and federal funds totaling nearly $1.5 billion are being deployed to help connect the estimated 150,000 unserved or underserved Hoosier addresses. Private sector companies are also getting engaged, including AT&T, which is in the midst of fiber projects in 12 Indiana communities and regions, and it’s all part of what some are calling a once in a generation opportunity.

Safer Roads or Stronger Wi-Fi?

Talking cars will one day be mandatory, but in the meantime, some think they're holding back the airwaves for much-needed Wi-Fi.

As Internet access grows, more and more frequency is needed to support Wi-Fi devices. Some of that frequency -- the 5.9 GHz band -- has been set aside for talking cars.

Vehicle-to-vehicle communication, which the Transportation Department says will one day be mandatory, allows cars to alert one another to their presence and to warn drivers if a wreck is imminent. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates talking cars could eliminate 80 percent of wrecks not involving driver impairment.

For now, though, the 5.9 GHz band is spectrum that can't be used for Wi-Fi devices. Some see a middle ground in which the frequency is still used for talking cars but shared for some Wi-Fi purposes.