FCC: iPad May Strain Wireless Networks
Posted by Jesse Ward on Monday, February 8, 2010 · 
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Apple’s new iPad has the potential to overwhelm wireless networks when it hits the market later this year, this according to two FCC officials who voiced their concerns in an official blog posting.
Phil Bellaria, director of scenario planning, and John Leibovitz, deputy chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, noted potential network problems surrounding the release of the iPad. The posting compared AT&T’s current capacity crunch to congestion problems AOL experienced in the 1990s when it decided to allow unlimited Internet use.
“For months, users had trouble connecting and, once they did connect, experienced frequent service outages. The FCC even held hearings on the problem,” said Bellaria.
Bellaria noted that the potential for network congestion triggered by an influx of iPad users demonstrates the need for updated wireless infrastructure and regulatory policies.
“Reaching an always-on wireless broadband future means that the spectrum can no longer remain attached solely to uses deemed valuable decades ago,” he said.
“With the iPad pointing to even greater demand for mobile broadband on the horizon, we must ensure that network congestion doesn’t choke off a service that consumers clearly find so appealing, or frustrate mobile broadband’s ability to keep us competitive in the global broadband economy,” wrote Bellaria.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad on January 27. The tablet features 802.11 Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as 3G cellular connections.
Of note, when queried last week, AT&T noted that it does not expect major congestion problems on its network, rather it foresees users relying predominantly on WiFi. “We will monitor the usage as the device gets out there,” said Rick Lindner, senior executive vice president and CFO at AT&T. “If it turns out substantially different, we will adapt.”
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