Comments on: There is Buried Treasure in the Radio Spectrum http://healthblog.ncpa.org/there-is-buried-treasure-in-the-radio-spectrum/ Health Care Policy and Reform Insights | NCPA Fri, 25 May 2012 14:14:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Paul H. http://healthblog.ncpa.org/there-is-buried-treasure-in-the-radio-spectrum/comment-page-1/#comment-54618 Paul H. Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:15:55 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=9193#comment-54618 Has anybody ever done robotic surgery at a distance? Has anybody ever done robotic surgery at a distance?

]]> By: artk http://healthblog.ncpa.org/there-is-buried-treasure-in-the-radio-spectrum/comment-page-1/#comment-54508 artk Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:28:42 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=9193#comment-54508 Well, I seem to remember that they have a problem with the drones, anyone could pick up the video feeds. Additionally, the fail safe on a drone is just just crash without arming the weapons. The point of remote surgery is that the expertise isn't available locally. I suppose the fail safe on robotic surgery is it just stops until your surgeon travels cross country to finish the operation. Well, I seem to remember that they have a problem with the drones, anyone could pick up the video feeds. Additionally, the fail safe on a drone is just just crash without arming the weapons. The point of remote surgery is that the expertise isn’t available locally. I suppose the fail safe on robotic surgery is it just stops until your surgeon travels cross country to finish the operation.

]]> By: Neil H. http://healthblog.ncpa.org/there-is-buried-treasure-in-the-radio-spectrum/comment-page-1/#comment-54498 Neil H. Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:31:11 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=9193#comment-54498 artk raises an interesting question. Surely there is a way of making the communication more reliable. How does the military control the drones? artk raises an interesting question. Surely there is a way of making the communication more reliable. How does the military control the drones?

]]> By: artk http://healthblog.ncpa.org/there-is-buried-treasure-in-the-radio-spectrum/comment-page-1/#comment-54497 artk Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:13:12 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=9193#comment-54497 How reliable is your cell phone? Do you want to undergo robotic surgery that's as reliable as your cell phone? How reliable is your cell phone? Do you want to undergo robotic surgery that’s as reliable as your cell phone?

]]> By: Larry C. http://healthblog.ncpa.org/there-is-buried-treasure-in-the-radio-spectrum/comment-page-1/#comment-54494 Larry C. Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:29:37 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=9193#comment-54494 Devon: I can't recall having seen anything worth viewing on the over-the-air channels in years. If you were completely cut off, and had to listen to radio instead, your loss would be small. Devon: I can’t recall having seen anything worth viewing on the over-the-air channels in years. If you were completely cut off, and had to listen to radio instead, your loss would be small.

]]> By: Devon Herrick http://healthblog.ncpa.org/there-is-buried-treasure-in-the-radio-spectrum/comment-page-1/#comment-54492 Devon Herrick Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:56:40 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=9193#comment-54492 Interesting thought. Auction off the spectrum, forcing the shrinking 9% of the population (me included) that watch over-the air TV to subscribe to cable. As we have seen with the recent switch to digital television signals, any gains from a better use for the spectrum would undoubtedly be minimized when advocates for the 9% argue there needs to be subsidies to help the poor with their cable bill. Before you know it, rather than the 5% or 6% of households that are too poor to afford cable, another 45% would claim the right to subsidized public TV. This is not unlike health reform -- force people to buy something they don’t want, and then subsidize their purchase in the interest of fairness. If the government were to subsidize cable TV, households would undoubtedly have to accept many channels that they do not want. Interesting thought. Auction off the spectrum, forcing the shrinking 9% of the population (me included) that watch over-the air TV to subscribe to cable. As we have seen with the recent switch to digital television signals, any gains from a better use for the spectrum would undoubtedly be minimized when advocates for the 9% argue there needs to be subsidies to help the poor with their cable bill.

Before you know it, rather than the 5% or 6% of households that are too poor to afford cable, another 45% would claim the right to subsidized public TV.

This is not unlike health reform — force people to buy something they don’t want, and then subsidize their purchase in the interest of fairness. If the government were to subsidize cable TV, households would undoubtedly have to accept many channels that they do not want.

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