 Wireless in the EnterpriseThis newsletter is sponsored by WebsenseNetwork World's Wireless in the Enterprise Newsletter, 07/16/07Debate begs question: How competitive are U.S. cellular networks?By Joanie WexlerThe debate is escalating over whether opening up the U.S.’s mobile networks to a wider range of devices and software applications is a good idea. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, for example, last week proposed that forthcoming auction winners of 700MHz spectrum be required to open part of their networks to support unlocked devices and third-party software. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, endorsed Martin’s idea during a hearing on mobile open access last week, “Wireless Innovation and Consumer Protection.” Martin’s proposal, in part, would allow a customer to use the same device on multiple operators’ networks. It implies that either all 700MHz operators would use the same wireless infrastructure technology or that all user devices will support the array of infrastructure technologies that might be used by various 700MHz operators.
That’s a noble, even utopian idea. It’s one that would ultimately ease the life of mobile users and stimulate the mobile ecosystem to create innovative capabilities. In practicality, though, it’s a tall order to fill, at least in the short term. And it’s the short term we’re dealing with, as the 700MHz auctions are only half a year away. The looming auctions, the controversial Apple iPhone/AT&T closed business model and bigwigs like Google and Skype pushing for mobile open access have focused the spotlight squarely on a fundamental question: Just how competitive and innovative is the U.S. wireless WAN industry, anyway? The answer isn’t simple and it differs depending on whom you talk to. The carrier industry claims that wireless competition is already thriving, so what problem would be solved by creating cumbersome open-access rules that require oversight and enforcement by, well, some entity still to be determined. It’s true that there are multiple nationwide wireless network operators. Most of the country, in urban areas anyway, is served by at least two providers for cellular telephone service. And that’s indeed a plus in the “competitive” column. Then again, there is a less competitive landscape for broadband mobile data services with high enough speeds that you can actually use for real work. And the mobile network model differs in an important way from basic telephone business, the Internet, and the cable and TV industries. With those networks, you can use your access device of choice regardless of whom your provider is, and you can attach to anyone or any content supported by the network. By contrast, the mobile operators determine what devices can attach to their networks, what software can run on those networks, what Web sites data users can access. They lock phones so that they are not transportable to another carrier’s network. Do the oligopoly they form and their strict usage rules inhibit capabilities that are as yet a gleam in an innovator’s eye ? The answer is hardly black or white. I’ll try to peel away some of the onion next time.
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| Contact the author: Joanie Wexler is an independent networking technology writer/editor in California's Silicon Valley who has spent most of her career analyzing trends and news in the computer networking industry. She welcomes your comments on the articles published in this newsletter, as well as your ideas for future article topics. Reach her at joanie@jwexler.com. This newsletter is sponsored by WebsenseARCHIVEArchive of the Wireless in the Enterprise Newsletter. BONUS FEATUREIT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICESTo subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007 |
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