RCR Wireless News

Michael Calabrese in RCR Wireless | State's Role in Consumer Protection Bill Pondered

Communications — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 11:11:00 -0500

New America in the News:

RCR Wireless News | State's Role in Consumer Protection Bill Pondered

. . . "Allowing consumers to purchase unsubsidized handsets without a long-term wireless service plan, and at a fee no higher than subsidized wireless plans, would begin to knock down those obstacles and promote increased consumer freedom in the wireless market," said Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Program at the New America Foundation. . .

Michael Calabrese in RCR Wireless News | 'Auction rings up $2.4B in first-round bids'

Communications — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:38:00 -0500

New America in the News:

700 MHz auction rings up $2.4B in first-round bids (RCRNews.com)

“An unfortunate combination of tight credit markets and bad policy choices is likely to result in the biggest incumbent wireless carriers acquiring the lion’s share of licenses in today’s big auction of TV band airwaves,” said Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Program and VP at the New America Foundation. “The FCC imposed multi-billion reserve [minimum] prices on the spectrum, which will shut out all but the biggest companies, resulting in no new competition.”

Calabrese added: “The auction’s major wild card is Google. Even if Google is outbid in the end, they could transform the wireless marketplace by bidding at least $4.6 billion, the reserve price that triggers open access and consumer choice conditions that the FCC has imposed on the winner of the largest, nationwide block of spectrum [the C Block]. Google's bidding behavior will determine if this auction opens wireless networks so that consumers have a choice of devices, software and content in the future.”

New America in RCR Wireless News on Free Nationwide Broadband

Communications — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 08:33:00 -0400

New America in the News:

The Federal Communications Commission appeared poised to reject M2Z Networks Inc.’s plan to offer free nationwide broadband service on the 2155-2175 MHz band, a move likely to prompt a court challenge and refocus the campaign to integrate open access-wholesale requirements in the wireless space.

Once the anticipated dismissal of M2Z’s application happens, the FCC is expected to launch a rulemaking to determine what to do with the 2155-2175 MHz band. The two Democrats on the Republican-controlled FCC were expected to concur in the M2Z ruling.

***

“If the commission does not grant the M2Z application, it should not allow the spectrum to remain fallow,” the Public Interest Spectrum Coalition told the FCC. “Instead, the commission should simultaneously release a [notice of proposed rulemaking] setting service and rules for the band.”

The group, which includes Consumers Union, Consumer Federation of America, the New America Foundation, Free Press, Public Knowledge and others, wanted the FCC to mandate that M2Z’s network would be open to devices and applications, operated under network neutrality principles and capacity made available on a wholesale basis. M2Z largely agreed to such network provisions, but the consumer-special interest group wanted firm regulatory conditions imposed.

“The commission has already taken steps to guarantee to the public a platform for open devices. Success of this platform remains uncertain, however, and the commission has left considerable discretion in the hands of the ultimate [700 MHz] licensee,” the group stated...

This excerpt is from RCR Wireless News. To view the complete article, please click on this link.

RCR Wireless Cites New America's Unlicensed Spectrum Letter

Communications — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 10:34:00 -0400

New America in the News:

A broad-based mix of high-tech, consumer, civil rights, educational and Hispanic interests urged Congress to ensure that vacant TV airwaves are freed up for unlicensed wireless broadband as soon as possible.

“Allocating the TV white spaces for unlicensed use will stimulate the development of innovative devices, enable more economical broadband deployment in rural and other underserved areas, and ensure the efficient utilization of unused ‘beach front’ spectrum below 1 GHz,” stated the coalition in a congressional letter released by the New America Foundation, one of the 29 signatories. The coalition noted that injecting prime unlicensed spectrum into the wireless space could help the United States regain lost ground in global broadband penetration rankings.

The Federal Communications Commission is considering a proposal to make unoccupied television channels—which historically have served as TV guard bands—available for wireless broadband. The agency is awaiting testing results from its lab on prototype portable spectrum sensing devices made by Microsoft Corp. and Philips Electronics of North America...

For the complete article, please visit the RCR Wireless News website.

RCR Wireless Quotes J.H. Snider on IWN

Communications — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 19:57:00 -0400

New America in the News:

The Department of Justice’s internal watchdog revealed the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, overseer of a Bush administration plan to foster improved spectrum use by federal agencies, state governments and private-sector firms, granted more than 23,000 waivers over two years to allow law enforcement officials to continue operating wireless systems in a less efficient manner than mandated by NTIA in 1993.

The finding is included in a new DoJ inspector general’s report that warns plans to deploy a new nationwide wireless network for secure government communications is at risk of failing due to funding and management problems, a prospect that could hurt federal response to the next terrorist attack or natural disaster...

J.H. Snider, research director of the New America Foundation’s Wireless Future Program, said the NTIA’s handling of the matter leaves much to be desired and that he suspects the Justice Department is posturing for more congressional funding. Snider said he regards the IWN as a dinosaur. “The whole system is incredibly inefficient except by 1993 standards...”

For the complete article, please visit the RCR Wireless website.

RCR Wireless News Quotes J.H. Snider on Secrecy, Delays in Spectrum Policy Reform

Communications — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 19:21:00 -0400

New America in the News:

WASHINGTON -- Nearly two years after President Bush authorized the creation of an advisory committee as part of spectrum policy initiative launched in 2003, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration has yet to disclose identities of members, whether any meetings have been held or explain what progress has been made on White House-driven spectrum program that from the beginning has been shrouded in secrecy and yielded few tangible results to date....

One think-tank scholar said NTIA's handling of the advisory committee is symptomatic of a broader spectrum management issue and raises questions about the Bush administration's commitment to take on tough spectrum reform challenges.

"The delays and secrecy associated with setting up the advisory panel are indicative of a much larger problem of delay and secrecy in bringing accountability to federal use of spectrum," said J.H. Snider, research director of the New America Foundation's Wireless Future Program.

Snider was a candidate for the advisory panel, but apparently was passed over.

"The administration and much of industry knows there is serious mismanagement of federal spectrum. But the administration faces a dilemma," said Snider. "On the one hand, it wants to avoid political heat by saying it is doing something about the problem. On the other hand, it doesn't have the political stomach to seriously address it. A primary purpose of the advisory committee is to give the administration political cover for claiming it takes the mismanagement problem seriously. The delays and secrecy are indicative of just how ambivalent the administration is about having the advisory committee seriously grapple with the issues necessary to fulfill its mission..."

For the complete article, please visit the RCR Wireless News website.