Ofcom sets out Olympic spectrum plan UK regulator Ofcom has laid out a consultation plan for radio spectrum use during the London Olympics in 2012, ensuring that even if the games fail to be spectacular, at least the coverage will be wireless. Ofcom reckons there'll be more than 21,000 accredited media personages descending on London come July 2012, who will want …
Free space optics can be installed without problems from sunlight. It is generally the same as fibre optic technology without the fibre to guide the light, hence "free space". The only time you are likely to have problems with sunlight is if the sun gets directly behind one of the lasers. With a proper installation, it is relatively straightforward to locate the ends where the sun don't shine! Since it *is* based on lasers, it should not be a problem with people walking across the transmission path, as there is a H&S risk with having lasers at levels where people commonly have eyes....
So the Government is going to use taxpayers cash to pay for the spectrum, which is being sold by... the Government? Let's assume a 15% markup, plus 15% VAT. Nice little earner for the treasury that will be. Take something I own, sell it to myself at a 32+% premium, and pay with someone elses cash. They'll hardly even need to fiddle their expenses on that one.
"has signed a deal with Airwave, who run a private cellular network for the UK's emergency services, to provide communications for the event using their already-owned spectrum,"
Huge concentrations of people being moved all over the place, every available frequency fully used, so hand some of the emergency services capacity over for general use. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?
Since when was OFCOM and the frequencies it controls privatised?
OFCOM can and should just allocate the frequencies required for the duration of the games for free. It's well within their mandate. They should not be trying to operate as a private business within government. It's one thing to auction off swatches of spectrum to businesses, it's another to hold off selling spectrum for a couple of months for a temporary event that taxpayers are funding.
I am bloody glad that I will have retired before this nonsense starts and don't have to strain my brain as to whether my radio mics will be ,usable-not usable,allowed-legal-illegal-digital-analogue-two bean cans and string, or whatever new whim Ofcomedy come up with! I will be down the Pub! So upyers!
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