"pete" wrote in message
news:01c389cd$b62b5520$141388cf@verrando...
I don't advocate any of this. But given the state of business today,
and the inclination to snatch up every available slice of the bandwidth
pie, it would not suprise me if something like this happens. I don't have
mastery
of all the technical details, or the marketing details, it just seems
rather possible and probable.

If there's a more effecient way to use the HF spectrum, a better way
to
make more money from it, or to save more money in using it, they'll do it.
Amateur radio and shortwave are of so little consequence to this planet.
Only the tiniest miniorty of kermudgeons and geeks (us) would miss it when
its gone.

If big business has even the vaguest idea of how to exploit HF, they'll
snatch it up. And in the US, the FCC will sell it to the highest bidder.

If broadcasters could make more money without a transmitter, they'll do
it.

The only loyalty is to the bottom line.

I do a lot of media work for the Nat'l Assoc. of Homebuilders. Their
message to developers on land: if it's for sale, buy it. Buy and develop
as
much land as your resources will allow. Even if you don't need it, even
the
smallest parcel, buy it anyway. You can bet that the same goes for
spectrum
developers.

Pete
KQ5I


There's some similiarity between real estate and bandwidth, but some
differences, too. While there's a demand in both cases, the total bandwidth
increases with technical developments. I don't know how long it takes to
press the bandwidth frontier another 30 MHz, but I don't think it's very
long.

And the demand for SW bandwidth is shrinking. International broadcasting is
cutting back, and even more importantly, the bandwidth demands of the
utility stations are way, way down. If there was a large demand for SW
bandwidth, I'd think all the quiet sections would be filled by now.

SW isn't suffering from an excess of demand on it's spectrum, it is
suffering from a lack of interest. No way would a goofy scheme like BPL get
off the ground if the big utility broadcasters still had saturated
transoceanic and transcontinental links. And there's no known evidence that
any of the current commisioners would know a shortwave radio even if a SX -
42 fell on 'em. The commercial interests have gone to sattellites, and
we've been left with a vacuum.

Frank Dresser