Updated on June 18th, 2010
In my analysis of the FCC’s 14th Mobile Competition Report (“14th Report”), I noted that the 14th Report lacked relevant data supporting its conclusion that spectrum below 1 GHz may provide competitive advantages. Among other things, I noted the 14th Report failed to consider elements affecting cell density other than propagation characteristics – elements such as capacity, geographic terrain, and typical power levels.
Now the FCC itself has confirmed the relevance of these factors to cell density. In a white paper released this week (“Public Safety Report”), the FCC published “a technical analysis of the capacity and performance of the public safety broadband network assuming that the National Broadband Plan recommendations concerning this network are implemented.” (Public Safety Report at 1.) Read the rest of this entry »
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700 MHz Infrastructure public safety spectrum Wireless Mobile Broadband
Updated on January 8th, 2010
“I’m Luke Skywalker, I’m here to rescue you.” Luke Skywalker, Star Wars (1977).
What’s the difference between innovation and investment? I find myself pondering this question frequently these days. Over the past ten years or so, the FCC focused on encouraging “investment” in “infrastructure” based on the previously fashionable view that the United States needed to build more broadband infrastructure. Lately, however, the FCC seems more concerned about “innovation” than the other two little “i” words, investment and infrastructure. So the FCC has decided to rescue “innovation” through prescriptive net neutrality rules.
But, what is “innovation” (and is it really in trouble)? The dictionary included with OS X says innovation is “a new method, idea, product, etc.” In other words, an “innovation” is anything that is “new.” For the pro-net neutrality folks, however, innovation isn’t defined nearly so broadly. No, for the pro-net neutrality folks, innovation means new Internet applications. In their way of thinking, the billions of dollars of investment being made to develop and deploy new OFDM-based (WiMAX and LTE) wireless broadband infrastructure is not innovative. Let me show you what I mean.
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FCC Infrastructure Innovation Internet Applications Investment Net Neutrality NPRM