May 29, 2007 10:29 AM

Whose Airwaves? Our Airwaves!

Broadcast television is under a mandate to go all-digital by 2009. When they do, a very large chunk of the radio spectrum will be freed up...and the frequencies that will be vacated are extraordinarily valuable. Click here for the technical details -- but basically, these frequencies go through obstacles like walls very well, and so would be ideal for public uses such as universal internet access or public safety communications.

The most important thing to understand here? These frequencies belong to you, me, and all the rest of us; the FCC is simply tasked with managing them on our behalf.

Well, leave it to the Bush-appointed commissioners on the FCC to bungle an opportunity to look out for the public interest. To sell off these frequencies, they've set up an auction process that overwhelmingly favors the big companies such as AT&T/Cingular and Verizon. (Here's how the process should be run.) They're also failing to reserve any of this spectrum for universal broadband access -- which in today's information-centric society will be not only an incredible engine for opportunity and job growth, but an economic imperative for international competitiveness.

So take action -- tell the FCC to use the public airwaves for the public good, instead of privatizing away the potential for universal wireless Internet access.

Then, if your wireless service is still with AT&T/Cingular or Verizon, switch to Working Assets.