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  2. October 2010

October 2010

Mobile Broadband: The Benefits of Additional Spectrum

This detailed technical and economic forecast of mobile broadband market trends details the looming spectrum crunch in a concrete, data-driven fashion.

Some of the key findings in the white paper are:

  • Within the next five years, the spectrum deficit is likely to approach 300 megahertz.
  • This spectrum crunch will be driven by significant growth of mobile broadband traffic, on the order of 35 times recent levels.
  • Mobile broadband growth is likely to outpace the ability of technology and network improvements to keep up by an estimated factor of three.
  • Meeting this need may create $120 billion in spectrum value, with hundreds of billions more in total value to the economy.

White House 'Pleased' With FCC Spectrum Plans

Jason Furman, deputy director of the Obama administration's National Economic Council, said the spectrum issue had been discussed with President Barack Obama on a number of occasions, that he was "personally excited" and signed off on an effort to double the spectrum available for mobile broadband, and that the President was "pleased with [FCC Chairman Genachowski's] leadership."

Furman was surrounded by tech execs and analysts on the panel -- from Qualcomm, Dell, T-Mobile -- who said it was critical to free up more spectrum to meet an anticipated 35-times increase in demand, driven in part by the proliferation of multiple device users.

McDowell on FCC's Spectrum Agenda

Speaking at the Federal Communications Commission's Spectrum Summit, FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell identified areas where he thinks the FCC can make progress.

1) Getting AWS spectrum into the hands of consumers as quickly as possible, 2) Creating a nationwide interoperable broadband network for use by our first responders, 3) Freeing spectrum reserved for broadcasting for wireless broadband, 4) Getting the TV bands geo-location databases up and running in a manner that is pragmatic, efficient and competitively neutral, and 5) Improving spectral efficiency.

FCC's Technological Advisory Council

The Federal Communications Commission announced the formation of the Technological Advisory Council.

The Council, comprised of a diverse array of leading technical experts, will help the FCC to identify important areas of innovation and develop informed technology policies supporting America's competitiveness and job creation in the global economy.

Tom Wheeler, Managing Director, Core Capital Partners, will serve as Chairman of the Council. Wheeler previously served as the CEO of the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association and has founded multiple companies offering cable, video and voice communications services. Doug Sicker, Chief Technologist of the FCC, will work with the TAC Chairman in developing its work program. Walter Johnston, Chief of the Electromagnetic Compatibility Division, will serve as the Designated Federal Officer. Julius Knapp, Chief of the Office of Engineering and Technology will serve as the Alternate Designated Federal Officer.

The TAC will consider and advise the Commission on a variety of topics, many of which will build on the ideas and recommendations in the National Broadband Plan, such as how broadband communications can be part of the solution for the delivery and cost containment of health care, for energy and environmental conservation, for education innovation and in the creation of jobs. Other topics may include the evolution of broadband networks and devices and their implications, spectrum management, research and development in broadband and other communications areas, and how to promote innovation and investment. The first meeting of the Council will be November 4th.

Members of the Technological Advisory Council

  • Mark Bayliss, President, Visual Link Internet, Lc, representing Virginia ISP Association and West Virginia Broadband Cooperative
  • Nomi Bergman, President, Bright House Networks, representing Bright House Networks
  • Peter Bloom, Advisory Director, General Atlantic, representing General Atlantic
  • Vinton Cerf, Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist, Google, representing Google
  • John Chapin, Visiting Scientist, Communication & Network Group, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, representing the Wireless Innovation Forum
  • kc claffy, Adjunct Professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Department, UC at San Diego, representing the Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis
  • David Clark, Senior Research Scientist, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT, serving as Special Government Employee
  • Lynn Claudy, Senior Vice President of Science and Technology, National Association of Broadcasters, representing the National Association of Broadcasters
  • Richard Currier, Vice President and Chief Technical Officer, Loral Space and Communications, representing Loral
  • Brian Daly, Director, AT&T, Core & Government/Regulatory Standards, Chief Technology Officer - Strategic Standards, AT&T, representing AT&T
  • Adam Drobot, Managing Director and CTO, 2M Companies, representing 2M
  • Tom Evslin, Member of the Board, Vermont Telecommunications Authority, State of Vermont, representing the Governor, State of Vermont
  • Charlotte Field, Senior Vice President - Infrastructure and Operations, National Engineering and Technical Operations, Comcast Corporation, representing Comcast
  • Mark Gorenberg, Managing Director, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, representing Hummer Winblad Venture Partners
  • Dick Green, Board Member, Liberty Global Inc., representing Liberty Global
  • Dale Hatfield, Executive Director, Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship, University of Colorado at Boulder, representing Silicon Flatirons Center
  • Erwin Hudson, Executive Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, WildBlue Communications, Inc., representing WildBlue
  • Ari Juels, Chief Scientist, RSA Laboratories / EMC, representing EMC
  • Kevin Kahn, Intel Senior Fellow, Director Communications Technology, Intel Labs, Intel Corporation, representing Intel
  • Gregory Lapin, Independent Consultant, representing American Radio Relay League
  • Richard Lynch, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Verizon, representing Verizon
  • Brian Markwalter, Vice President Technology & Standards, Consumer Electronics Association, representing the Consumer Electronics Association
  • John McHugh, Technical Director, OPASTCO, representing OPASTCO
  • Geoffrey Mendenhall, Vice President - Transmission Research & Technology , Harris Corporation, representing Harris Corporation
  • Randy Nicklas, Chief Technology Officer, XO Communications, representing XO
  • Hilton Nicholson, CEO and Board Member SIXNET, representing SIXNET
  • Roberto Padovani, Chief Technology Officer, Qualcomm, Incorporated, representing Qualcomm
  • Daniel Reed, Corporate Vice President Technology Strategy and Policy and eXtreme Computing Group, Microsoft, representing Microsoft
  • Dennis Roberson, Vice Provost and Research Professor, representing Wireless Network and Communications Center (WiNCom)
  • Jesse Russell, Chairman and CEO, incNETWORKS, representing incNETWORKS
  • Andy Setos, President, Engineering, Fox Group, representing Fox
  • Marvin Sirbu, Professor of Engineering and Public Policy, Industrial Administration and Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, serving as Special Government Employee
  • Paul Steinberg, Chief Technology Officer for Motorola Solutions, representing, Motorola
  • Harold Teets, Senior Vice President, Information and Network Technologies, Time Warner Telecom, Inc., representing Time Warner
  • David Tennenhouse, Partner, New Venture Partners, representing New Venture Partners
  • Bud Tribble, Vice President Software Technology, Apple, Inc., representing Apple
  • Jack Waters, Chief Technology Officer, Level 3 Communications LLC, representing Level 3
  • Robert Zitter, Chief Technology Officer, Home Box Office, representing HBO

Wheeler To Head FCC Spectrum Advisory Task Force

Tom Wheeler, former president of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association and managing director of Core Capital Partners, has been tapped to head a new Federal Communications Commission spectrum technology advisory committee.

The committee, which FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said will include some of the top technology and business leaders in the country, will provide counsel on "spectrum issues and other ways to promote economic growth and job creation through communications technology and networks." Wheeler was an advisor to President Obama's campaign and headed up the transition team vetting various government agencies, including the FCC.

Politics Matter: Verizon Picks West Virginia for LTE Launch

Verizon said it will roll out its new 4G wireless network in Charleston, West Virginia before the end of this year, making the municipality one of 38 cities where the nation's largest carrier plans to deploy begin deploying its Long Term Evolution network technology before the close of the year.

Verizon will host a press conference next week with Sen Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), but the news is more style than substance. So far, the Verizon release is short on details such as when the network will roll out: it may be the first announced but not the first deployed. However, for a rural state the news is still worth noting. For those of you wondering why West Virginia is receiving such an honor, Se. Rockefeller is the chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Technology, the committee that oversees telecommunications regulations. He has the influence to make Verizon's life difficult and as the senator of a heavily rural state, he's pushed for better broadband access and competition.

Three different takes on rural broadband deployment

[Commentary] The Rural Broadband Alliance, a small telco group created a couple of months ago with the specific goal of pushing for changes in the National Broadband Plan, has released a paper to support its agenda, arguing, among other things, that the Federal Communications Commission should not eliminate rate of return (ROR) regulation.

The National Broadband Plan proposed eliminating the ROR system because it offers no incentive for small telcos to reduce their costs. But Lehman offered an interesting rebuttal. "One cost-reducing incentive the small telcos have is that the managing director may be sitting at the lunch table in a small town next to the largest customers or owners," he said.

Considering that most small telcos already have deployed broadband, perhaps the biggest question for those telcos moving forward is what level of universal service support they should expect if policymakers move ahead in implementing the reforms proposed in the National Broadband Plan. Frontier Communications CEO Maggie Wilderotter noted that typically it's the last 8% of a service area that's tough or unprofitable to serve. She argued that only carriers that have deployed broadband to 88% or 90% of a territory should be eligible to receive funding.

The FCC has been promoting 4G wireless service as an alternative to landline offerings such as DSL or fiber to the premise for delivering broadband to unserved areas. The FCC also has noted that for the highest-cost areas, satellite-based service may be the most economical option. Chuck McCown, CEO pro tempore of Beehive Telephone Company, a small telco serving remote areas of Utah and Nevada, said he is not worried that policymakers might shift funding away from companies like Beehive and toward satellite service because satellites are not a suitable replacement for landline service because they have greater latency.

Lifted by the Cloud: Visions of Cloud-Enhanced Accessibility

The Federal Communications Commission, the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities, and Raising the Floor, an international coalition of individuals and organizations who promote Internet accessibility for people with disabilities, launched a challenge to the public to submit short multimedia presentations on their visions of how cloud computing can create new opportunities for people with disabilities.

The Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities will award $1,000 for the best presentation that addresses the interests of people with cognitive disabilities, and Raising the Floor will award $1,000 for the best presentation that addresses the interests of people in developing countries. The challenge will run from October 22, 2010, to May 1, 2011. Submissions will be accepted at any point during that time period. Public voting will occur on Challenge.gov from May 2-31, 2011. The winner of this voting will be recognized as "the popular choice."

Why Wait on Washington, Waxman or Wu to Protect the Internet? The States Can Break the Stalemate

[Commentary] Gridlock in Washington should not prevent public structures from being protected. The public Internet is the infrastructure of the 21st century and essential for businesses that want to thrive in the global economy, schools that want to prepare students for jobs that can sustain healthy families, and vibrant communities. Since the Comcast case makes it clear the Federal Communications Commission does not have authority to regulate the Internet, and Congress has failed to act, the states are free to protect their citizens' rights to access all legal content, uses devices and applications of their choice, and have accurate and transparent information about the services they purchase. Freedom of expression in the 21st century depends on an Internet that is open to all and not controlled by a handful of big corporations looking for market share. The states can and should act to protect citizens' rights to the modern-day town square. The wonder of the Internet and its promise of democracy and innovation should not wait on Washington.

AT&T, Critics urge FCC to forget Network Neutrality

Telecommunications policy experts say it is time for the Federal Communications Commission to put network neutrality issues to rest so that the agency can move on to addressing other items on its agenda, such as implementing the National Broadband Plan.

A representative from AT&T was joined by former FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and other policy wonks on a panel at the 4G World trade show to discuss the FCC's progress on implementing the National Broadband Plan. Robert Quinn, senior vice president of regulatory affairs for AT&T, said progress on achieving goals set out in the plan presented to Congress earlier this year have been painfully slow. "We are frustrated at the slow progress," he said. "The Broadband Plan does a good job of isolating the problems, but now there are rule-making proceedings spread over the next 18 months. And we have no idea when these will turn into real rules." He went on to say that many of the issues that the FCC is trying to deal with as part of this plan are complex and will not be handled easily. But he chided the agency for spending too much time on the Net neutrality issue instead of writing policies that can get broadband deployed more quickly throughout the nation.

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