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Satellite service provider Globalstar has dropped its controversial plan to launch a wireless network in the U.S. in part of an unlicensed band that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth use.
The plan had alarmed supporters of those technologies who feared the network would interfere with them and effectively privatize unlicensed spectrum. Globalstar's TLPS (Terrestrial Low-Power Service) proposal was one of several ideas introduced in recent years to mix licensed and unlicensed uses of spectrum. While some have been ruled out, others, such as LTE-Unlicensed, are moving forward.
Globalstar has licensed spectrum in a band next to the 2.4GHz block of frequencies shared by Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microwave ovens and many other technologies. It's so close that in the U.S., part of the unlicensed band is set aside as a guard band to prevent interference. In most other countries, networks like Wi-Fi get all the spectrum because they don't have to make room for Globalstar.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 15 2016, @05:58AM
shared by Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microwave ovens
With this wide array of interfering devices, Sprint is the only carrier stupid enough to operate on Band 41. I own phones on all four carriers, and Sprint is the worst for coverage and worst for latency. It's no coincidence that absolutely every other carrier uses a lower operating frequency than Sprint. When I want low ping on wireless, I reach for my AT&T GoPhone, because Sprint sucks. Band 41 is the frequency band to use when you just don't give a fuck, and you actually want your service to fucking suck. Globalstar would be morons to use it.