Vision - May/June 2008 - (Page 33)

by julie kearney ] • [ news from washington for this growth. First, Congress and the FCC added substantial spectrum allocations for commercial wireless service. Second, they embraced a market-oriented, flexible use spectrum policy that let licensees innovate and deploy technologies for efficient, nextgeneration services. This let market forces determine which services and technologies to deploy to maximize efficiency, in lieu of the traditional “command and control” approach typical of the old monopoly wireline network. This new competitive model has kept prices down with the result that many Americans use their wireless phones more than people in other countries. The U.S. leads the world in average minutes of use per subscriber and mobile calls are less expensive on a per minute basis than in Western Europe and Japan. This marketbased scheme allows competitors to introduce different devices and applications, including third-party applications that allow customized user experiences. Since 1938, the FCC has allowed some wireless devices to operate on an unlicensed basis, allowing anyone to access the spectrum without obtaining a license as long as the devices follow certain technical rules. Unlicensed devices operate on a secondary basis and receive no protection from interference, unlike most licensed operations. Today, unlicensed devices from baby monitors to remote keyless entry to inventory monitoring are playing a critical role in enabling broadband. tech policy Wireless Timeline 1968–1975: FCC reallocates some little-used UHF TV spectrum (channels 70-83) for cell phones and other wireless services, based on projections of 105,000 mobile customers per major market by 1990. 1980–1983: FCC finalizes rules for cellular service, but estimates of the market vary from 300,000 to 1.5 million in the short term, and one estimate is for 1.4 million users by the end of the century. 1985: • 340,000 subscribers. 1988: FCC authorizes digital cellular services. • Two million subscribers. 1990: • 5.2 million subscribers. 1991: FCC allows Fleet Call (Nextel) to provide cellular service using other spectrum. • 7.5 million subscribers. 1993: FCC allocates 120 MHz of PCS spectrum for mobile phone services to compete with cellular networks. • 16 million subscribers. 2000: • 109 million subscribers. Mid-2007: • 243 million subscribers. 2008 700 MHz spectrum auction. • Ensure spectrum-based services have interference protection. • Promote access for all Americans. CEA looks forward to working with policymakers to secure this wireless compact for the American people. Excerpted from CEA’s Washington Insider Series: Better Living through Wireless: The Wireless Revolution and U.S. Spectrum Policy. To read the white paper, visit: www.CE.org/Press/CEA_Pubs/139.asp • May/June 2008 O Helping Wireless Flourish ur country is in the middle of a revolution, and it has nothing to do with the upcoming Presidential elections. No matter what your politics, this is a revolution where everyone will win— it will transform wireless technology. The CE industry has brought an array of innovative devices to Americans that benefit consumers and make enormous contributions to the economy. And increasingly, CE products rely on wireless communications to deliver mobile services and features that increase productivity, enable people to work on-the-go, provide entertainment and offer connectivity at home, at work and at play. Wireless communications depend on the availability of radio frequencies known as spectrum. Critical spectrum policy decisions by the government determine which spectrum, and how much of it, can be used for various types of communications, and on what terms. Spectrum policy decisions may seem arcane, but they affect all Americans and have a powerful impact on the economy. Simply put, spectrum policy plays a critical enabling role in the CE industry. CEA is a leading advocate for enlightened spectrum policy that drives investment and innovation and makes new devices and services available to consumers. Key public policy decisions paved the way www.ce.org Stockbyte/Getty Images Advancing Wireless CEA is working with policymakers to develop new opportunities for the use of both unlicensed and licensed spectrum. CEA outlines a new compact for spectrum policy and wireless regulation, which includes these opportunities to advance the next-generation of wireless opportunities: • Identify 100 MHz of spectrum to transfer from federal to commercial use. • Repurpose 100 MHz of spectrum from existing commercial use to new highervalue uses. • Maintain a balance of licensed and unlicensed spectrum. • Adopt a deregulatory national spectrum policy. • Adopt and promote a thoughtful broadband policy. 33 http://www.CE.org/Press/CEA_Pubs/139.asp http://www.ce.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Vision - May/June 2008

Vision - May/June 2008 Contents Shapiro's Spectrum In This Issue The Economist C4 Trends Visionary Making the Smartphone Truly Intelligent Shipping Strategies for CE Companies IP in BRIC Countries CEA Newsline Tech Speak Eye on Business Tech Policy Market Insider Just the Stats

Vision - May/June 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.