Free Pornless National Broadband Network Approved by FCC

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Federal Communications Commission has given preliminary approval to the proposal for a free, nation-wide broadband service, operating within the AWS-3 band, which represents the 25 MHz swath of the frequency spectrum.

Providers interested in making use of the available band will be required to ensure it remains pornographic and obscenity free, eWeek.com reported today. 

But not everyone is on board with the plan. Representatives from T-Mobile voiced concerns about service interference. T-Mobile bought rights to the adjacent AWS-1 spectrum back in 2006 for $4 billion dollars. The mobile mogul maintains that use of the AWS-3 band would affect service through disruption and interference and demanded the FCC concede to running tests.

Testing concluded that the two airwaves will not impede one another to the extent it will merit scuttling plans to develop the band, eWeek.com reported. 

"The analysis shows that an AWS-1 and AWS-3 device operating in close proximitydoes not necessarily result in interference," a summation of the FCC's final 21-page report explained.

Since then, the FCC has announced their plans to move forward. An auctioning off of the spectrum is expected to begin in 2009.

Any company winning the bid for the AWS-3 network must stick to a graduated plan of execution and filter out obscene or pornographic material dictated by "contemporary community standards."

The broadband network is expected to be available to 50 percent of the country within four years and 95 percent within 10 years.