WIRELESS COMMENTS SET STAGE FOR ACTION UNDER GENACHOWSKI

摘要

Many commenters on the FCC's broadband notice agreed that access to more spectrum is essential for wireless broadband to reach its full potential. For the first time in many years, the FCC has no major auction in the works, and it's not clear where the next big blocks of spectrum will come from. There was widespread disagreement on the wisdom of imposing a new spectrum cap and on the overall need for greater or less regulation. Michael Copps probably won't take on as acting chairman major wireless matters being debated while he holds the position. But the broadband comments, with comments due Monday on the CMRS competition report, could provide a springboard for action when Julius Genachowski becomes the chairman, industry officials said. nn" We're going to find there's a lot of interest in kind of bread- and-butter issues, such as the spectrum cap and roaming as well as the bigger issues around licensed versus unlicensed and variable power," said Harold Feld, legal director at Public Knowledge. "I think we're going to see two tracks ... It's easy for Genachowski to take on the big think stuff and put it in the report to Congress and take some of the more focused stuff and do actual proceedings on that." Feld said he sees a "fracturing" of the wireless industry, which no longer lines up solidly against public-interest groups like Public Knowledge. "There is much more concern among some of the carriers about competition and much more willingness to define common ground on certain issues that are competition related," he said. "There is much less one camp versus the other camp, industry versus the public interest [groups] on every issue." A small-carrier source said, "I think roaming, handset exclusivity and spectrum caps are going to be the big debates. With all the AT&T and Verizon consolidation, AT&T and Verizon are going to have to accept more regulation of their near duopoly. The CMRS competition comments ... will also crystalize some of these debates."