Subject: [NEXTEL-1] FCC Chief Says Ponders Flexible Use of Airwaves

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2002 10:10:08 -0500

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/technology/tech-telecoms-spectrum-fcc.html

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October 30, 2002

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FCC Chief Says Ponders Flexible Use of Airwaves
By REUTERS

Filed at 7:42 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Communications Commission is working to provide more flexibility for using the nation's existing commercial wireless airwaves as numerous new services proliferate, the agency's chief said on Wednesday.

FCC Chairman Michael Powell said the agency is exploring ways to overhaul government regulations of wireless licenses, including allowing license holders to offer a variety of services as well as expand the use of existing spectrum that may be underutilized.

``We are living in a world where demand for spectrum is driven by an explosion of wireless technology,'' Powell said in a prepared remarks to the University of Colorado at Boulder. ``Nevertheless, we are still living under a spectrum management regime that is 90 years old.''

With the explosion of mobile wireless services, ranging from phones and two-way messaging systems to in-home computer and entertainment networks, the government is struggling to provide sufficient resources for new products to operate.

A task force set up by the FCC will soon issue recommendations on how to improve the government's spectrum policy, focusing on providing the market with greater certainty and with few regulatory hurdles, Powell said.

He said he wanted the agency to begin developing the spectrum policy from those recommendations at the FCC's December open meeting. Powell also said he would talk with Congress about possible legislative reforms.

``We must make critical decisions that balance the interests of existing spectrum users and potential new entrants to ensure that there is every opportunity and incentive to put spectrum to its highest and best use for the benefit of all consumers,'' he said.

Specifically, he urged more flexible use of spectrum, which at present is largely doled out for offering a single service, such as paging or mobile telephones. But at the same time, Powell said clear rules on interference would have to be outlined.

Additionally, he also raised the possibility of allowing licensed spectrum to be used by other entities when idle.

``In a commercial context, secondary markets can provide a mechanism for licensees to create and provide opportunities for new services in distinct slices of time,'' Powell said.

The wireless industry has called for additional airwaves to offer those services, but resources are scarce and the government is considering moving military operations to free up airwaves. But the government must first find new spots for the military to work.

``Spectrum is the rocket fuel that is going to take us to the next level of technological innovation,'' Michael Gallagher, deputy assistant secretary of commerce for communications and technology, told Reuters. ``You'll be able to send video from your camcorder to your cell phone and then send it to your grandmother if we manage the resources better.''

About half of all Americans own mobile telephones, last estimated at almost 134.6 million, and now the industry is seeking to expand their offerings to include high-speed Internet access and data services.

Tom Wheeler, head of the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association, said any new policy should not harm those who had already acquired licenses and made large investments.

``The concept of 'flexible spectrum policy' should recognize these economic realities as we look to the future and should be consistent with the expectations that were part of these licensing decisions,'' he said in a statement.

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