Communications Daily

... The New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative, the Media Access Project and Public Knowledge said the FCC should not impose "sweeping, standardized federal regulations on states and municipalities" in the interest of providing broadband providers easier access to public rights of way. Access Humboldt also signed the filing. ...

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"We've got this harrowing economic environment and unprecedented opportunity to effect change. That tension is really very much at play in terms of fundraising," said Sascha Meinrath, director of the New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute. "We've had a fairly banner year because the latter has really been winning out. People see the opportunities here and are willing

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FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein and a group of academics, laid out a proposed revamp of wireline and wireless broadband policy Monday at a New America Foundation conference. All argued that fundamental change is needed from the policies of the Bush administration. Original article (subscription required)

"We are very encouraged to hear that CTIA will join us in calling attention to the many bands of prime spectrum that are unused or grossly underutilized," said Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Program at the New America Foundation. "Actual measurements of spectrum use show that less than 10 percent of the 'beachfront' frequencies below 3 GHz are in use even at peak times in the largest cities.

The coalition "is very definitely still interested in avoiding any unjustified cannibalization of TV white space by broadcast licensees unless they can demonstrate they need to do this to continue coverage to households within their" market who could lose access to DTV signals after the analog cutoff, New America Foundation Vice President Michael Calabrese told us. "We reiterated those concerns to commissioners" Friday. LINK (subscription required)

The technology is ready for smart radios to prevent interference by portable devices for wireless broadband, and in a few years a second phase of the DTV transition should get TV off the air, speakers said Tuesday at a conference held by the New America Foundation and Google at the company's headquarters.

Public interest groups led by Public Knowledge fired back at CTIA and wireless carriers opposing their petition asking the FCC to declare that short codes and text messages come under anti-discrimination provisions of the Communications Act's Title II. The groups fear resistance could stall action on their petition and thought the time right to re-engage on the issue, said a supporter of the petition.

New America Foundation responds to concerns about white space technology interfering with adjacent channels that are used by broadcasters:

Ten public interest groups told the FCC that M2Z's proposal for a nationwide, free wireless broadband network at 2.1 GHz is attractive but has too many failings to support. Instead, the groups urged the agency to examine making the spectrum available for unlicensed use or through a license but with strict conditions imposing open access requirements. Google made similar arguments in a separate filing with the agency. The comments added to a flurry of activity at the FCC on an AWS III auction, short for advanced wireless services, of 2.1 GHz spectrum.

Spectrum value is lost when incumbents get the FCC to modify their licenses at no charge, said J.H. Snider, research director of New America Foundation's Wireless Future Program. To protect spectrum value, the FCC should charge for license revisions, Snider, author of a paper on spectrum "giveaway," told a Tuesday panel. Another participant estimated that the U.S. loses out on $10 billion yearly in potential fees.