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The FCC was mighty busy at its November 4 open meeting. First and foremost the commission voted to allow unlicensed devices to operate in unused portions of the broadcast television spectrum, also known as "white spaces."
The commission has put in place specific conditions to prevent interference with nearby incumbent users, including broadcast TV stations and wireless microphones. Devices operating in white spaces will be pre-tested by the commission prior to certification for use. Approved devices will have to use either spectrum-sensing technology or geolocation capabilities. The commission also will maintain an online database of TV signals and location of venues such as stadiums and churches that use wireless microphones. Further, as expected, white-space devices must use lower power when operating in a channel adjacent to a broadcast service.
This is a real victory for Dell, Google, Intel, Microsoft, Samsung and other members of the White Spaces Coalition. In fact, only a few days after the decision was announced, a technology spokesperson for Dell said the company plans to integrate white-space radios into future products, possibly including laptops, netbooks and other devices. Of course given that standards still need to be developed and adopted I expect it will be some time before products are introduced in the marketplace.
The use of white-spaces was vehemently opposed by the National Broadcasters Association, which argued that that unlicensed use of white space would create too much interference for broadcasters, and a slew of recording artists who said that it would interfere with wireless microphones used in performances.
NTCA is encouraged by the commission's decision, although the association had initially advocated for some or all of the spectrum to be set aside for licensed operations.
Without the text of the order, it is hard to say what provisions may be provided for rural carriers and rural deployment. However, some speculate that the commission may release a notice of inquiry asking for input on the potential use of some of this spectrum in rural areas for higher-powered applications.
Commissioner Michael J. Copps noted that "it should be quite possible, at some point, to authorize higher-power devices in rural areas that will support backhaul and broadband infrastructure." He also expressed support for issuing a notice of inquiry on the topic.
Globalstar and Open Range Offer Rural WiMAX Service
Early last week the FCC granted Globalstar's request to allow it to add an Ancillary Terrestrial Component (ATC) to its existing mobile satellite system (MSS) service. The decision is important because it clears the way for Globalstar and its spectrum lessee partner Open Range Communications to offer WiMAX service in more than 500 rural communities nationwide. Globalstar is banking that incorporating ATC into its existing wireless offerings will help it overcome a fundamental problem: the inability to penetrate buildings with satellite signals.
Globalstar said it will begin offering WiMAX service in 2009. It also plans to pursue discussions with other possible wireless partners both nationwide and abroad.
For its part, Open Range has obtained a $267-million loan from the Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Utilities Program (RDUP) for the buildout of the WiMAX network. The financing is contingent on various FCC conditions and other governmental approvals.
"Today's FCC action is an important step in closing the digital divide in America. We expect our partner to initially deploy infrastructure in more than 500 rural communities with the ability to expand the relationship over the next six years to additional markets covering 50m people or about 15% of the US population," said Jay Monroe, CEO and chairman of Globalstar.
President-elect Barack Obama is a fan of technology, but the attention his administration gives telecommunications and technology issues will be overshadowed by the global financial crisis and the war in Iraq. Nevertheless, the media is already speculating about the Obama’s potential tech agenda.
The President-elect has clearly espoused his belief in nationwide broadband access as a tool of change, which could drive early action in his administration. He favors providing government subsidies to Internet service providers who build networks in hard-to-reach areas. Obama also favors additional regulation to ensure open access to the Internet which could indeed revive "Net Neutrality" regulation. The new administration is expected to more closely scrutinize potential media consolidations and merger proposals.
Obama may create a new position within his administration, the nation’s first Chief Technology Officer. There has been a lot of speculation about who will fill this new position but of course nothing has been announced as of yet. Obama wants the CTO to "ensure that our government and all its agencies have the right infrastructure, policies and services for the 21st century," plus protecting the security of government computer networks.
And of course there is much speculation with regard to the fate of the FCC. As with any government agency, it will take some time for the new President to appoint a new chairman of the FCC. Obama could tap one of the current Democratic FCC commissioners - Jonathan Adelstein or Michael Copps - to be chairman. Or he could ask one of the aforementioned commissioners to act as an interim chairman in January while conducting a thorough search for a permanent FCC head. And of course if Martin decides to leave the agency in January instead of stepping down from his chairman post, Obama will have the opportunity to hand pick additional commissioners.
AT&T announced last Friday that it will acquire Centennial Communications, a regional provider of wireless and wired communications services, for $944 million. Centennial provides GSM wireless services to 1.1 million subscribers in primarily rural markets throughout the Midwest and Southeast United States, and wireline services in select Caribbean markets.
"Mobility is a vital investment area for AT&T and our company's biggest growth driver," said Ralph de la Vega, president and chief executive officer of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "This transaction enhances network coverage for our consumer and business customers and is expected to create long-term value for AT&T's stockholders."
AT&T is in a dead heat with Verixzon Wireless to be the nation’s number one wireless provider. AT&T currently boasts nearly 75 million subscribers. The combined Verizon/Alltel will have more than 83 million subscribers.
FCC Approves Sprint-Clearwire Deal, Verizon's Acquisition of Alltel
Also at its open meeting last week the FCC unanimously approved Sprint Nextel's $14.5 billion partnership with Clearwire to build a national WiMAX network. The deal now awaits approval by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The commission also approved Verizon Wireless' $28.1 billion acquisition of Alltel, making it the largest wireless carrier in the United States with a combined 83.8 million subscribers. Alltel serves more than 13 million customers in 34 states, including 57 primarily rural markets that Verizon Wireless does not serve.
The U.S. Department of Justice approved the acquisition last week on the condition that Verizon divest 100 markets in 22 states where the companies overlapped. The FCC then requested that Verizon divest an additional five additional markets where it found competitive harm.
Interestingly, the commission's open meeting was scheduled to begin at promptly at 11:00 a.m. EST, but it was delayed for nearly five hours. Reportedly there was a disagreement between the commissioners as to whether to allow Verizon and Alltel's current roaming agreements to extend for four years. In the end Verizon was directed to honor Alltel's roaming agreements with regional, small and/or rural carrriers for either the term of the agreement or four years, whichever occurs first.
Integrating the two cellular platforms should be fairly straightforward. Alltel had been a roaming partner with Verizon Wireless for years. Both operators use CDMA and Qualcomm's BREW platform and had planned to migrate to the 4G long term evolution (LTE) standard. But the fat lady has not sung yet! Verizon Wireless needs to line up financing for the deal, which includes an assumption of $22 billion in Alltel debt.
AT&T Unveils Video Search Site
AT&T Inc. today announced a beta version of a site called VideoCrawler, which can search more than 1,600 online video outlets. Developed in collaboration with Divvio, VideoCrawler indexes hundreds of millions of video clips from thousands of sites.
The VideoCrawler public beta is an AT&T initiative to supplement social media and networking applications. "We want to do everything possible to connect customers to the content they want, and today more than ever, what they want online is social media," said Sean O'Leary, vice president, AT&T Business Development. "With thousands of popular video Web sites, it's become more and more challenging to find, sort and manage all of the best clips that are out there. That's exactly what we're working to solve with VideoCrawler by allowing users to search from an index of the most popular media sources from across the Web."
VideoCrawler is a free Web application, supported by banner advertising. Of note, the site offers a "safe search" feature that helps users avoid objectionable content. AT&T has not released a list of compatible video sites but Google’s Youtube is included.
And, last but not least, our video of the week, Michael Crichton, 1942-2008:
Have
you recently seen a funny, entertaining or informational video? "The
New Edge" would love to hear from you. Please send your suggestions for
the next "video of the week" to jward@ntca.org and your video might be featured in an upcoming issue.
The Marketplace
Log On, Link Up and Learn. Join NTCA’s Tech Community As you well know, the telecom industry is evolving at an increasingly fast pace. Rural telecom professionals need to maintain access lines and trouble-shoot existing issues, while also developing new, cutting-edge technologies. Learn new strategies to manage the chaos and keep up with industry trends. Join NTCA's Tech Community today and utilize one of your best assets – your peers. Visit http://tech.ntca.org to learn more.
Industry Events
Seeking Executive Level Speakers for IP Possibilities
(due Nov 14)
The 2009 IP Possibilities Conference & Expo speakers provide rural ILECs and the telecommunications industry with vital educational information to help make critical decisions regarding technology deployments in their communities. The theme of the 2009 conference is revenue generation. Speaker proposals are due no later than November 14, 2008. Proposals received after this date will not be accepted. Please send your topic/speaker proposals to David Lowe, or call 703-251-2084 if you have questions.
Attend the Industry’s Fastest Growing Wireless Event!
(Jan 7-9, 2009) Going into its ninth year, NTCA’s Wireless Symposium is the fastest growing conference for the telco marketplace. Last year, attendance grew more than 20%, and surpassed the previous attendance record, which was just set in 2007. Be a part of the perfect mix of industry leaders, peers and vendors by joining us in Austin, Texas, for this year’s event. Register by December 15 to save $100 off the regular registration rate.
EXPO '09 (Feb 8-11) EXPO '09
takes place during NTCA's annual meeting and is the hottest show in
rural telecommunications. Stay ahead of the competition and unveil your
top solutions to approximately 3,000 representatives, including key
decision makers, looking to upgrade and provide the best services to
their customers. Get in the middle of the action on the EXPO floor and
register today.
Get Smart with NTCA in 2008: Earn While You Learn NTCA
has a dynamic line-up of conferences for 2008, and we want telco
employees and directors to expand their knowledge by gaining "smarts"
when attending these conferences. When telco employees or directors
attend select NTCA 2008 conferences, that particular telco will earn SmartPoints.
Six member telcos that have accumulated the most SmartPoints at the end
of 2008 will become eligible to receive gift certificates valued at
$500, $250 or $150. Gift certificates will be awarded based on the
number of employees: 1-75 or 76+.
