Over the past few years, the ever-increasing need for high-speed data services has been undeniable. Consumers across the globe are demanding higher throughput, converged services, and increased mobility. Technical innovation, especially in the wireless arena, has brought us to the brink of solving this new problem of high information availability. Unfortunately, countless political and regulatory barriers have limited the development and implementation of such cutting-edge technologies. The lack of regulatory uniformity across socio-political boundaries coupled with the daunting task of developing international standards which these varied political factions can agree upon has severely limited both the true potential of wireless technology and, ultimately, our ability to provide the global populace with the services they demand. This policy analysis report (PAR) is aimed at both identifying some of the barriers to market entry of the high-speed services mentioned above and making recommendations about how these barriers can be broken down to allow for faster integration of the wireless technologies that are currently available. As a pseudo-case study, this PAR will look specifically at some of the policy issues that plague the United States' push for universal broadband capabilities. Many of these same issues are being faced by countless other countries across the world. As such, the recommendations made at the end of this report, although specifically tailored to the current U.S. wireless broadband regulatory environment, should be embraced worldwide to ensure a harmonious shift toward truly global, high-speed, converged information services.
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