According to PC Mag, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, speaking at the D conference, said the most important thing we can do to improve broadband in the United States is to “unleash mobile.”
When asked about studies that ranked the U.S. low on broadband, Genachowski said the study that makes him most concerned is one that rated the U.S. 6th out of 40 on innovation, but 40th out of 40 on rate of change in innovative capacity. “The rest of the world isn’t standing still,” and we need to understand the importance of broadband to help address issues like businesses, education, and health care.
When asked why the U.S. pays more for broadband than the rest of the world does, he brought up the FCC’s new plan. He said the U.S. was leading the world in 4G rollouts such as LTE, but we face a challenge in mobile congestion.
The FCC plans for a threefold growth in spectrum, but that demand is likely to grow at least 10 times. “I think we’re going to have spectrum congestion problems for a long time,” said Genachowski; and he talked about a need to allow companies to trade spectrum, a plan for broadcasters to auction off unused spectrum, and also for the need to allow for unlicensed spectrum.
Federal regulators shouldn’t use telephone rules to claim oversight of Internet service providers, 171 House Republicans said in a letter last month to the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC should defer to Congress on regulating the Internet, the lawmakers said in a letter to Chairman Julius Genachowski.
Genachowski said his push for more stringent regulations on Internet providers is designed to help the U.S. catch up to the leading countries in broadband services. The FCC has no plans to regulate pricing or to require cable operators to unbundle and wholesale their networks, Genachowski said.
The FCC has proposed relying on telephone rules after a federal court in April said the FCC lacks authority to regulate Web access providers. The proposal faces an initial FCC vote June 17.
The FCC plans to auction a 10 megahertz swath in the 700 MHz block — the so called D block. But it doesn’t sit well with the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials. They want it all.
The FCC wants to auction the D Block off to commercial carriers next year. Chief of the FCC’s Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau, told Reuters this week that to minimize costs, the program has to be timed with the build-out of fourth-generation wireless technology by the major wireless carriers. Delaying the auction, the FCC said, could greatly raise the cost of the build-out, which is expected to run about $6.5 billion if the project gets off the ground next year.
Sharing the 700 MHz infrastructure in a joint public/private partnership would lower costs and enhance services for everyone, argues the FCC. Rural users are the target group the FCC most wants to service with broadband access.
AT&T and Verizon hope to consolidate their 700 MHz duopoly.
Verizon, which bought $9 billion worth of contiguous licenses in that zone, is now looking for rural companies to help it “collaboratively build and operate” 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks in rural areas. Verizon will suppply LTE equipment and 700MHz licenses. Rural carriers would supply towers and backhaul. Revenues would be split. Verizon will use a 10 + 10MHz system (FDD) for its LTE network.
Related Dailywireless articles include; FCC Reports on Wireless Competition, Big Bucks for 700 MHz Public Safety, FCC Okays 21 Public Service Nets, FCC: Stop Complaining about Interoperability, Police & Fire: No Broadband for You, The 700MHz Network: Who Pays?, D-Block: It’s Done; Congress Pays.
