Ofcom announces plans to auction Digital Dividend

[HEXUS]

Ofcom provided details today of how the radio spectrum that will be freed-up through digital television switchover will be awarded for new uses throughout the UK.

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[badass]

With there being enough bandwidth used by a single analogue channel to fit more than 40 Standard def digital channels, it would be nice for a bit of the freed up spectrum to be used to either get our digital terrestrial channels broadcast in HD or gain a few more channels.
Still, with the range possible with these frequencies and the potential bandwidth, I think this may make fast ish broadband possible for pretty much the whole country.

[kopite]

Country wide wireless would be great

[Funkstar]

Country wide wireless would be great

We don't need the analogue switch off for that though do we? What about the 700MHz band?

[vinnyT]

I say more shopping channals

[kopite]

Free to view porn

Funkstar: True I just want someone to country wide wireless hehe Like the idea of having a carpc with wireless and be able to stream music from my home pc without the need for having music stored on the pc

[Saracen]

The digital dividend will be one of the most significant and valuable spectrum releases in the UK for 20 years. Our approach is designed to maximise these considerable benefits for UK citizens and consumers as a whole

In my view, that's garbage. The objective, just like the 3G auction, is to raise as much cash as possible, for government coffers. Superficially, that may seem fine, but if companies have to pay out vast sums in auction bids, they WILL expect to get it back from you and me by charging for their services. Anyone wondered why cellular calls are still so expensive in the UK. That auction is a significant part of the reason. And my prediction is that it will happen again, if these companies are stupid enough, or greedy enough, to fall for auction fever. Given that the vast majority of us want and will pay for services such as TV and cellular connections, it amounts to a form of hidden tax. Technically it isn't. obviously, but it's tantamount to one.