FCC chief to push for free wireless Web access

This month, outgoing Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin will try to galvanize FCC members to act on a free mobile Internet service that is also pornography free, a proposal that has languished for most of the year. That’s according to a brief report in the Wall Street Journal, by Journalista Amy Schatz. Martin’s idea is tied to an auction of a chunk of spectrum, but there’s been little movement on the proposal this year. The auction winner would be required to set aside one quarter of the airwaves for the free Internet service, but could also create a paid service with faster wireless connectivity. The free service would have to filter out pornography and other content considered not suitable for children. The Journal story notes the idea is similar to one proposed earlier by M2Z Networks. In August, the FCC dismissed applications by both M2Z and NetFreeUS, seeking the right to operate the frequency band in question. Both the original M2Z and the FCC’s more recent proposal are controversial, sparking opposition, from consumer advocates, over the content filtering, and from cellular carriers, over possible radio interference and the “free” requirement. Network World blogger Craig Mathias argued earlier this year that just as there’s no such thing as a free lunch, there’s no such thing as free Internet access.