A coalition of consumer groups wants open access for a portion of the 700MHz spectrum to be auctioned by the FCC, reports Infoworld.

Each 700MHz tower can cover four times the large geographic area as towers in higher bands, and the signals go through obstacles like trees and buildings better than traditional Wi-Fi, said Michael Calabrese, director of the wireless future program at the New America Foundation, a Washington, D.C., think tank.

The six groups, calling themselves the Save Our Spectrum Coalition, filed comments with the FCC Thursday, suggesting competitors to the large DSL and cable modem service providers could use the open access to provide a broadband alternative. The FCC will auction 60MHz of spectrum in the upper 700MHz band, later this year. The spectrum is being freed up by U.S. television broadcasters as they move from analog to digital broadcasts.

The groups also want the FCC to prohibit wireline and large wireless incumbents from bidding on the frequencies or to require them to bid through affiliates. They believe the FCC should require half of the 60MHz be dedicated to “open access” (at wholesale rates), and allow customers to use any equipment or application. That provision is similar to network neutrality rules the groups and others are pushing the U.S. Congress to pass.

Here are links for the full filings at the Public Knowledge site.

The groups include the New America Foundation, Consumers Union, Media Access Project, Free Press and Public Knowledge. “This is the last large auction of prime spectrum in the foreseeable future,” Calabrese said during a Save Our Spectrum Coalition news conference.

The FCC is expected to decide by the end of this month how the spectrum should be allocated. Congress hopes to generate between $10-$30 billion for the treasury with the sale of the 60MHz. Another 24Hhz is reserved for public safety agencies.

But Frontline Wireless and Cyren Call propose extending the bandwidth dedicated to public service. Frontline would take another 10 MHz while Cyren Call would take another 30 MHz out of the commercial spectrum. Both would “share” the frequencies between commercial users and first responders. They would use that revenue to build out the public service infrastructure.

Cellular companies prefer the status quo — they would like to control ALL the commercial 700 MHz spectrum themselves and create a “walled prison”. Net Neutrality is not their thing.

EchoStar, DIRECTV, Intel, Yahoo! Google, Skype and Access Spectrum are promoting their “Coalition for 4G in America” (pdf). Their plan would facilitate bandwidth aggregation to create nationwide licenses in the upper and lower 700 MHz band. The Coalition for 4G says locating a paired 5.5 MHz commercial block, directly adjacent to public service’s paired 5.5 MHz Broadband Block, would better enable public/private partnerships and cost savings for everyone.

The Frontline Wireless plan calls for an open access network that will promote freedom of equipment choice, interoperability and flexibility of application software for both public safety and commercial communications.

Frontline Wireless would add 10 MHz for first responders (on their “E” block) by changing the “D” Block from a 10 MHz pair to a 5 MHz pair of frequencies. It would be available for both commercial and public safety users.

This is for the licensed 700MHz band. The unlicensed “white space” concept promises (low power) broadband using unused television frequencies. But it has a catch: fixed service only — IEEE 802.22 needs to protect TV viewers from portable devices. OFDMA is the likely access method for 802.22.

Nevertheless, a coalition of groups, including Microsoft, Google, Yahoo and others, recently sent a portable 802.22 device to the FCC for testing. Four pending bills would require the FCC to authorize both fixed and portable devices, for unlicensed use, on the television band.

Alcatel, like dozens of companies, has mobilized WiMAX using Runcom’s OFDMA chips. Project 25 radios cost $3500 and won’t get much cheaper. Want maps, photos or video — forgetaboutit. Nevertheless, the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council wants more spectrum at 700 MHz (pdf) and doesn’t want to share it with cellular operators or the general public.

Mobile WiMAX may bring last-mile Triple Play to first responders AND residential users, with faster, cheaper, full-mobility broadband. Everywhere.

Money talks, but so does political expediency. The FCC may take the ninth. In the 9th Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FCC proposed that 12 MHz of the 24 MHz be designated for broadband, and that a single licensee should be awarded this spectrum on a nationwide basis.

Pragmatically, the Frontline proposal seems closest to the FCC’s plan and would add 10 MHz of “dual-use” in the upper 700MHz band. Meanwhile, cellular companies have the bucks and the desire to control at least the lower 30 Mhz block. They already have infrastructure. But consumers (and the United States economy) might benefit most with non-traditional carriers offering low-cost, net-neutral internet access — perhaps using the 20 MHz remaining in the upper 700 MHz band. An Alaska native, service-disabled, woman-owned, small business concern would be the ideal bidder.

The 700MHz auction, likely to be held this October, should generate $10-$15B for the treasury.

Accela Wireless uses store-and-forward technology to provide wireless/WiMax solutions for applications like building inspection. Accela GIS is built on the ArcIMS platform by ESRI, and provides automated maps from a central database for land use, zoning, permitting and inspection. Seattle-based NetMotion Wireless enables seamless roaming between WiFi/WiMAX nodes and cellular connections. Police applications include the CalPhoto Database, DMV records and photos.

Related DailyWireless articles include; Rural Broadband: Handicapping Campaign ‘08, Frontline Files 700MHz Plan with FCC, FCC Firming Up 700MHz Rules?, Nokia WiMAX: UK Tough, U.S. Litigious, Wu’s Net Neutrality: On the Media, Skype to FCC: Open Cellular Now, Net Neutrality Goes Wireless, Net Neutrality 2007, Verizon’s $6B Smackdown, Alcatel Does EVDO in DC 700 MHz Net, Frontline’s 700MHz Pitch: Sharing is Good, Tom Ridge: Answer Cyren Call, Verizon Makes its Move for Universal Service Fund, National Broadband: Fee & Free, Pushing for “White Space”, Microsoft’s “Free” Phone?, Senate Testimony on 700MHz Sharing, FCC to Rural Users: 700MHz is the Ticket, McCain Wants Commercial 700 MHz for Police, State-wide Wireless Broadband Access, FCC’s 8th Report and Order, Joint Commecial/Muni Proposed for 700Mhz and Oregon’s $500 Million Statewide Wireless Network.

Posted by Sam Churchill on Thursday, April 5th, 2007 at 2:32 pm.