Qualcomm CEO Worried About IEEE Certification Process
Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs is worried about the IEEE process, not only for the recently controversial 802.20 certification, but other standards as well, he told Communications Daily after speaking in D.C. Wed. Speaking about the next generation of wireless broadband innovations, he discussed policy issues that may arise. His IEEE comments after the speech were significantly less optimistic than the rest of his outlook on the wireless industry.
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“I'm happy the process is under way… I'm just worried by how the process works,” Jacobs told us, speaking of the standards ratification process for the Mobile Broadband Wireless Access (MBWA) Working Group, or 802.20, designed to formally specify a packet-based air interface for IP-based services. The process is “pretty dominated” by “companies, like Intel, with specific interests in the outcome” of deliberations, he said. He said the problem exists “within and without” MBWA. “It’s not just 802.20,” he said, “but 802.11n isn’t working… UWB didn’t work.”
Jacobs said he’s unwilling to call the process broken, and said Qualcomm will “go in and see” what can be done to resolve differences -- made very public this month after the IEEE completely overhauled the MBWA in the face of a conflict between Intel and Motorola, which favor one technology, and Qualcomm and Kyocera, which favor another. Former MBWA Chmn. Jerry Upton was lambasted by the Intel-Motorola camp for being a paid consultant to Qualcomm and was accused of having abused his position to slip Qualcomm-patented technologies into a merged standards proposal. IEEE tightened requirements surrounding disclosure by board members, as part of its overhaul process.
Other standards bodies will “beat them to the punch” if IEEE can’t work out a compromise, Jacobs said. Groups like ITE and 3GPP will be the first to establish mobile wireless data standards and that will be what the industry adopts, he said. Unlike legislative bodies, the standards bodies generally “aren’t super democratic,” Jacobs told us, adding this leaves little room for aggrieved members to change the membership when they think interests have hijacked the work.
Intel didn’t comment by our deadline.
Wireless Speech
“We'd be interested” in a chunk of the remaining 700 MHz spectrum to be auctioned by the FCC, Jacobs said in response to an audience question during his speech, but whether Qualcomm will be a serious bidder depends largely on price. If satellite TV and mobile TV interests go after the spectrum assertively -- which Jacobs said he saw hints of in the AWS auction -- that could drive prices above what Qualcomm would feel comfortable paying. Though very positive on Wi-Fi, especially as a complementary network “offloading” service for wireless carriers, Jacobs said “licensed spectrum is by far the best way to get widespread deployment.”
The net neutrality debate won’t even exist once wireline carriers hit capacity, as wireless carriers have -- the reason they will soon need to “offload” some subscribers onto unlicensed Wi-Fi network, he said. Landlines were “overbuilt” during the Internet bubble, he said, but “we are rapidly using up unused fiber” and once it’s all taken “we'll see what it’s like to have a shared, scarce resource.”
Jacobs said he’s making no assumptions about FCC approval of MediaFLO but hopes to get it “soon.” Deployment has been delayed because of interference issues with 2 UHF channels; the FCC hasn’t decided what requirements it will impose on MediaFLO broadcasting to avert interference. Jacobs said “we're having dialog right now,” but cited Qualcomm’s fits and starts over 3G approval in China, where the govt. claims licenses will be handed out “by the end of the year,” but they never come.