Economist.com | Spectrum policy

Economist.com Spectrum policy: "The sweet and low down : ...[This] is promising because broadcasters inhabit the best kind of spectrum, the equivalent of beachfront property. The lower an electromagnetic wave's frequency the better it is at penetrating rain, trees and walls, which is why television and FM radio tend to work in the basement, but why Wi-Fi signals have trouble with walls. According to the New America Foundation, the 1% of frequencies below 3GHz are worth more than the other 99% of spectrum between 3GHz and 300GHz.

Even a sliver of new unlicensed spectrum in the very low frequencies could therefore make an enormous difference. It could, for example, make possible a cheap alternative to cable and digital-subscriber line modems (for which roads have to be dug up and trees uprooted) in delivering high-speed internet access across --the last mile-- to the consumer. "