How’s this for your next scenario: First, the inevitable expansion of G3 wireless – the technology that brings high speed connections to cellphones allowing for content to be disseminated over the Internet. Couple this with cities like Austin, Portland, Philadelphia, New York City, San Francisco, Fredericton, Canada, and others where either the city fathers themselves have approved building free wireless infrastructures or local WiFi enthusiasts are obtaining grants and financial support to create them on their own.
And it is a prevalent trend. According to the Reuters News service, “Slightly more than 100 US cities -- as big as Philadelphia and as small as Nantucket, Massachusetts -- are setting up wireless networks now…[and] close to 1 000 local governments worldwide have plans in the works.”
While you're pondering that, have a look here: Free Wireless Internet (WiFi) Access Points in the United States
Actually, wireless broadcasting (aside from AM, FM and Satellite) is already a reality. Any radio personality who has ever done a remote broadcast using his or her cellphone has demonstrated this in the simplest of terms. Now, there are products that allow broadcasters to plug a cellphone into them to increase the fidelity at the station end. A company called Tieline offers a complete line of products for mobile, wireless broadcasting. Granted this is point-to-point transmission but the point is: it uses the already in-place wireless infrastructure.
Five years from now, wireless capabilities will envelope the globe in a mesh of connection. Is it too far fetched to think that some company, somewhere, will come out with a technology that allows a user to “broadcast” content from one point-to-many using only this wireless infrastructure? I don’t think so.
And if so, answer me this: what would be the difference between a "G3 broadcaster" using a ground-based wireless network which allows a listener to choose from an assortment of content - and Satellite Radio?
In essence, nothing - although XM and SIRIUS certainly won't agree wth that assertion.
10 years ago Satellite Radio was the next technology. 10 years ago, traditional radio stations were not under assault by either technology or the F.C.C. Today, Satellite Radio has just as much to worry about as all the other commercial radio stations if my premises prove out to be accurate.
At the moment, Podcasting is not under the Federal Communication Commission’s domain and I believe it unlikely to ever be. Why? It would be as if the F.C.C. were trying to monitor the specific content of a phone call. Yes, the F.C.C. regulates the wires and radio frequencies your calls are routed through but they do not monitor the content of your personal calls - nor would our legislators (as misguided as they sometimes seem to be) allow them to.
As it stands now, Podcasting is simply shared files over the Internet. Eventually, Podcasters may be sharing their programs not only through the Internet but over largely defined geographical WiFI and G3 networks. It seems the only real place in the future for complete creative expression and legal protection might very well be what Podcasting eventually evolves into.
(cont....)
