 Wireless in the EnterpriseThis newsletter is sponsored by Belden(r) Wireless SolutionsNetwork World's Wireless in the Enterprise Newsletter, 08/06/07U.S. wireless gains measure of open accessBy Joanie WexlerThe FCC last week laid down rules for its forthcoming spectrum auction in the 700MHz band. The FCC conditions open up part, but not all, of the spectrum being auctioned off to unlocked devices that can be used with multiple carriers’ services. They also give subscribers access to cross-operator application and content services. And, finally, the public safety community gained some spectrum. The rules, which might present some technical challenges in practice, theoretically offer something for everyone: carriers, handset makers, consumers, content providers and first responders. But — quelle surprise — there is grumbling. The telecom community wanted no conditions placed on spectrum usage, while big content providers, such as Google, wanted the FCC to require that winning bidders offer wholesale services to competitors in the fashion of a Telecom Act of 1996 Redux. It didn’t.
There is whining about the FCC wanting 700MHz networks to be “public-safety grade.” What that means is that the portion of the network reserved for shared public safety and commercial use (with public safety getting priority) must be highly resilient and offer very extensive coverage, including inside buildings and in lightly populated service areas. These are expensive conditions that wouldn’t necessarily represent the best business decisions for carriers operating in a capitalistic vacuum. All camps can never be satisfied, because they consider only their own business interests. As mere bystander, I personally don’t think it is unreasonable that endeavors involving wireless spectrum—which is a finite resource ultimately overseen by a given nation’s government—should accommodate both the public good and private enterprise. Public and private interests, though, mix poorly in the context of building expensive networks that differ in business models and functional goals yet must share resources and be interoperable. Still, can you really compare society’s yawning need for a unified nationwide public-safety network in the U.S. with the loss of some carrier revenue? Knowing that it’s only a matter of time until the next Katrina-like disaster or terrorist attack, consider the dilemma raised by Andy Seybold, wireless consultant extraordinaire (I’m paraphrasing slightly): Do you accommodate the 3 million first responders dedicated to protecting us or the 300 million consumers who want to make calls anytime and anywhere? A tough call, certainly, but at least the FCC has laid some groundwork to help us achieve both goals.
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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 Belden(r) Wireless SolutionsARCHIVEArchive 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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