Opposition mounts over US 'free internet'

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A leading US senator has written to the FCC asking it to reconsider its approach to the proposal to force the winner of newly available radio spectrum to offer free internet services.

The FCC is scheduled to consider the action, known as the AWS-3, at its meeting next on Thursday.

Mobile phone companies, in particular Deutsche Telekom AG's T-Mobile, oppose the proposal, saying it will create interference, among other concerns. T-Mobile paid about $4.2 billion (£2.8 billion) for an adjacent piece of spectrum.

The FCC has said its engineers examined the issue and found no technical interference issues.

Democrat Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, who is expected to head the Senate Commerce Committee when the new Congress convenes in January, wants the FCC to refrain from taking up major items while it oversees the February 2009 transition to digital television.

On February 17, all US television broadcasting must switch from analogue to digital transmission under a congressional mandate. The change requires many Americans to buy a digital adapter for older television sets, while consumers who receive cable or satellite television will not be affected.

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