Stories about what the telecom industry wants and needs when it comes to open access [1] to the RF spectrum have been all over the news in recent weeks. Many consumers seem to think it's a straight-forward question of consumer needs versus provider needs [2], but the truth is more complex. The need to manage a finite resource might well make an absolutely open wireless space unusable--do you remember CB radio in the 1970s? This editorial makes the case for carefully considering what you ask for in open access--getting what you're asking for could be a major problem for you and your users.

For more on the open-access balance:
- read the newsletter [3] at NetworkWorld