President George W.Bush is proposing a tax on WiFi and other unlicensed technologies as a way to get some cash into the government coffers and make up for the deficit. Apparently, now that it has become a viable business and innovation opportunity, the Government believes its time to tax it. Yet another example that there is a serious disconnect between Washington DC and Silicon Valley.
President Bush, facing a huge budget deficit, today proposed squeezing more money from the nation’s airwaves by supporting legislative changes that would allow the Federal Communications Commission to set “user fees” on “un-auctioned” radio spectrum. The proposal, contained in the president’s 2007 budget plan and projected to raise $3.6 billion during the decade, is believed to be aimed at unlicensed frequencies used for Wi-Fi and other applications.
Good luck.
I thought he has been on this “Competitive America” kick. How is America going to compete with other countries when we make wireless high speed internet more expensive when other are giving WiFi and broadband away for free?
David – Because he never means what he says.
This administration will go down as, bar none, THE worst in terms of cronyism and now extending into stifling innovation. Let Exxon and its ilk go on raping the American people, let’s cut education and health care and make up the deficit by…taxing WiFi? Words fail me almost as badly as this presidency has failed the U.S.
Considering Bush has a poor track record as a businessman, this proposal makes sense. Doesn’t it!?
Sounds like the Telecom companies have lobbied to slow the growth of WiFi, which scared the bejeebers out of them.
Hang on here.
Where the hell are our WiFi lobbyists? Hello? This is Washington, not Cupertino. Gotta play the game.
If WiFi movers and shakers don’t have the stomach to grease some palms they should not be suprised bullshit like this goes down.
You’ve got a point there Douglass. The question is “Are their any WiFi lobbyists?”
I am a Democrat who was/is outraged by this proposal. I forwarded it to a well connected Republican who told me the following… “They are not threatening unlicensed… this is a threat to un-auctioned, such as satellite, Broadcast, landmobile, certain fixed point point, etc.” According to my guy, they do not intend to tax wifi…
Om, you might want to check it out and let us know what the real deal is here…