Communications Daily

Policy Wins Don't Always Translate into Easy Money for Telecoms, Media Nonprofits | Communications Daily

Cecille Isidro — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:46:00 -0400

"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

Broadband Fix Needed | Communications Daily

Cecille Isidro — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:14:00 -0500

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)

Michael Calabrese in Communications Daily | 'CTIA Campaign to Seek More Spectrum for Licensed Use by Carriers'

Cecille Isidro — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:56:00 -0500

"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. Unlocking this wasted public resource is what motivated our successful effort to reallocate the unused TV channels in each market for unlicensed access for providers of broadband and other new services." LINK (subscription required)

Michael Calabrese in Communications Daily | 'DTV Signals'

Cecille Isidro — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:34:00 -0400

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)

Michael Calabrese in Communications Daily | 'Clear All TV from Spectrum for Wireless Broadband, Says New America'

Cecille Isidro — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:58:00 -0400

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. "Take TV off the air" in a few years, said Michael Calabrese, director of the foundation's Wireless Future Program, since 2002 an advocate of opening the TV white spaces. To open all TV spectrum to wireless broadband, over- the-air broadcasts should be replaced entirely by cable, satellite and Internet viewing, he said. All channels should be available by broadband, with the government possibly subsidizing cable and satellite providers to deliver free Lifeline service, Calabrese said... The New America Foundation is gunning for wireless broadband access in "underutilized government and even commercial bands" by promoting the use of cognitive radio to prevent interference, Michael Calabrese said. "Let smart radios operate around the dinosaurs," he said. This may call for the use of micropayments or "microauctions" for the benefit of licensees, Calabrese said. Kolodny said "the white spaces are going to be at the forefront of showing that… more

Wireless Future Program in Communications Daily | 'Public Interest Groups Say Short Code Protections Growing in Importance'

Cecille Isidro — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:31:00 -0400

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.

"Text messaging and short codes are vital forms of communications and deserve protection from discrimination imposed by wireless companies," said Gigi Sohn, president of Public Knowledge. "We hope the Commission will act quickly to prevent discrimination against millions of text messaging consumers."

Joining Public Knowledge were Free Press, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, EDUCAUSE, Media Access Project, New America Foundation, U.S. PIRG and CREDO Mobile. They originally petitioned after Verizon Wireless refused to issue a text messaging short code to abortion-rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America (CD Jan 16 p2), then relented. Text messaging plays an "increasingly vital role" in "our society and democracy" and the issues raised are gaining relevance, the filing said, noting that carriers downplay their significance. "The wireless providers often attempt to diminish the importance of short codes by alleging that short codes are… more

New America in Communications Daily and Consumer Electronics Daily

Communications — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 02:57:00 -0400

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

Using adjacent channel leakage ratio and similar measures to deal with any interference in adjacent channels will keep white spaces devices from causing harmful interference to TV broadcasts, a coalition led by the New America Foundation told the FCC. The complexity of wideband data waveforms across the CMRS, PCS and now the Advanced Wireless Services bands led to "sophisticated tools," not yet used to regulate broadcast spectrum, to handle possible interference in adjacent channels, the coalition told the agency...

For the complete article, please visit Communications Daily and Consumer Electronics Daily (subscriptions only).

New America Seeks Open Access Requirements

Communications — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 07:00:00 -0400

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. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin late last week began circulating a proposed rulemaking on rules for an auction (CD Aug 28 p1).

Time is running short. Martin believes the FCC is required to deal by Saturday with a forbearance petition filed by M2Z. Some members of the FCC are reluctant to vote on an M2Z order without a rulemaking moving the agency a step closer to an auction, industry sources say.

Harold Feld, senior vice president of the Media Access Project, one of the 10 groups, told us Tuesday the FCC should take the time need for a rulemaking notice that asks all the necessary questions. The… more

Communications Daily Quotes J.H. Snider on Spectrum Licenses

Communications — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 08:14:00 -0400

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. Changing the parameters of a license changes the value of the spectrum involved, according Snider. An example of "free" modification is the change from site-based to geographic-based licensing and digital rights for cellular. Without such modifications, licenses now held by cellphone companies in the 800 MHz band would be worth far less, Snider said. After next year, when the FCC completes the auction of the 700 MHz band spectrum, nearly all spectrum below 3 GHz will have been assigned. This means "the name of the game going forward will be the license modification," said Snider. License changes are popular with incumbents because they "can be done quietly, under the radar," he said."You have to have a Ph.D. in spectrum technology to know what is going on," Snider said.… more

Communications Daily Cites New America on FCC Letter

Communications — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 10:36:00 -0400

A broad group of 29 executives at high-tech companies and public interest groups sent all members of Congress a letter asking for their support in opening broadcast "white spaces" for use in offering wireless broadband. Signers included companies like Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Intel, and public interest groups from the New America Foundation to the Consumer Federation of America. Supporters said they wanted to make clear to Congress before their upcoming recess the extent of support for opening white spaces."A number of people outside the white spaces coalition are supportive of this issue and wanted to assist in helping to raise awareness and keep the process moving forward," one official said: "Since congress will be going on recess for the July 4th holiday in a week, we wanted to get this out." A 2nd source said that with the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology testing devices designed to operate in the band, supporters want to keep pressure on the FCC to act as soon as OET's work is complete.

"Properly regulated unlicensed use will cause no harmful interference to incumbent licensed services," the letter said. "Your support will promote greater broadband connectivity and foster the development of innovative… more