4G wireless technology is distinct from 3G, despite confusion over labeling, Ali Tabassi, Sprint Nextel vp- technology development, told a Wed. Wireless Communications Assn.’s (WCA) Carrier & Enterprise Leadership Briefing. Also addressing Sprint Nextel’s spectrum stance, Tabassi urged that each generation be defined by technology, as it long has, not by which spectrum band the technology operates on, as is done by some with 4G. Telling Communications Daily he can’t speak for any standards organizations or policy groups, Tabassi nonetheless warned that generational nomenclature has the potential to disrupt the wireless standards process.
Wireless Spectrum Auctions
The FCC manages and licenses the electromagnetic spectrum used by wireless, broadcast, satellite and other telecommunications services for government and commercial users. This activity includes organizing specific telecommunications modes to only use specific frequencies and maintaining the licensing systems for each frequency such that communications services and devices using different bands receive as little interference as possible.
What are spectrum auctions?
The FCC will periodically hold auctions of unused or newly available spectrum frequencies, in which potential licensees can bid to acquire the rights to use a specific frequency for a specific purpose. As an example, over the last few years the U.S. government has conducted periodic auctions of different GHz bands to support the growth of 5G services.
The 30 companies and associations that filed comments on FCC rules for the upcoming 700 MHz auction speak to the massive interest in the 60 MHz of spectrum to be auctioned before early 2008, sources said Tues. “From a business standpoint, if AWS is beachfront spectrum, this is the Riviera of beachfront,” said an industry official: “The fact that you did see all these commenters is indicative of how interested people are.”
The FCC should adopt rules for the coming 700 MHz auction that offer licenses in small geographic areas to accommodate bids by small carriers, said rural wireless groups. The FCC is considered likeliest to offer some spectrum in cellular market area (CMA) chunks - the smallest geographic licenses sold in the recently concluded AWS auction.
A new wireless broadband group will push to maintain the status quo in spectrum auction and other policies favorable to members, including limiting unlicensed spectrum allocation in commercial spaces and freeing more spectrum for commercial use. Wireless Broadband Coalition (WBC) Exec. Dir. David Taylor told Communications Daily his group hopes it can develop a public presence after about a year of “under the radar” spectrum policy lobbying. WBC wants the govt. to limit “sweetheart deals” for specific allocations that may be good for individuals but hurt industry at large, Taylor said.
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.
The FCC will seek comment on a Cyren Call petition for rulemaking asking for 30 MHz of contiguous 700 MHz spectrum to provide public safety a wireless broadband network, Chmn. Martin said. Martin was speaking to Sen. Inouye (D-Hawaii) in response to a follow-up query from his confirmation hearing. Absent further direction from Congress the agency is unlikely to back Cyren Call’s proposal, Martin said. “The Commission’s Reference Information Center periodically releases a public notice listing such petitions recently received by the Commission, providing the public the opportunity to comment,” Martin said in the response. “Cyren Call’s petition should appear on the next comment public notice, which will provide the public with an opportunity to establish a record on Cyren Call’s petition.” But Martin also observed: “Congress has directed the Commission to auction some of the spectrum at issue in the proposal. So -- absent further Congressional action -- the Commission may be unable to take any further action on the petition.”
The Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy joined designated entities (DEs) in questioning the need for the major rule changes for DEs that the FCC approved before the recent AWS auction. In a filing on a further notice of proposed rulemaking on future auction rules, the Office suggested the FCC had already gone too far.
Comcast may eventually provide phone, broadband and video services wirelessly, COO Steve Burke said when asked at a Goldman Sachs conference about spectrum it won in the FCC AWS auction (CD Sept 19 p7). The AWS licenses -- which Comcast bid on through the SpectrumCo joint venture with other cable operators and Sprint -- covers 90% of the U.S. population with 20 MHz, Burke said: “There will be a major portion of video, voice and data that is consumed wirelessly” in the future. Asked about net neutrality, Burke said Comcast has no plans to charge websites for sending content over its network. Slowing customers’ access to popular websites like Google would be “probably the stupidest thing,” he said, describing net neutrality as “a debate that is very much a Washington and an industry debate and not something that has really taken hold of consumers.” Increasing customer use of websites with bandwidth-heavy content including YouTube could lead Comcast to increase download speeds, especially in places Verizon sells FiOS broadband, Burke said. Selling phone service to businesses, which Comcast may start on a large scale in 2007 or 2008, will be “the next growth engine” in 5-plus years, said Burke. Burke predicted Comcast will add basic video subscribers in the next 5 years because its package of phone, data and TV will remain competitive with Verizon. - JM
NASHVILLE -- The odds are improving that Cyren Call will succeed in setting up and running a national broadband network used by safety officials, industry and safety officials said Tues. at PCIA. Cyren Call, headed by Nextel founder Morgan O'Brien, faces an uphill fight and a tight timeline to get for public safety a chunk of 700 MHz spectrum otherwise to be auctioned after the DTV transition, they said.
Wal-Mart expects to be “one of the top sellers” of DTV converter boxes for the 2009 analog cutoff, the retailing giant told NTIA. As an “advocate” for economically hard- pressed consumers who can least afford rising energy costs, Wal-Mart urged NTIA to require “auto-power-down” defaults and other power-limit features as conditions for making boxes eligible for the $40 coupon subsidies.