Femtocells and LTE Symbiosis
by Sanket S. Nesargi
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FCC Delivers it National Broadband Plan
The FCC delivered its National Broadband Plan to Congress, setting in motion the most significant reforms to the nation's telecommunications market in the broadband era. The plan was mandated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in February 2009 and produced by an FCC task force. The full plan will be released to the public on Tuesday.
Major components include a review of wholesale competition rules for fixed and mobile broadband, freeing up 500 MHz of spectrum for licensed broadband mobile services, freeing up additional spectrum for unlicensed use, updating rules for wireless backhaul spectrum, and setting new rules to ensure a competitive video set-top box market.
The FCC will seek to establish a "Connect America Fund" (CAF) to support the provision of broadband with at least 4 Mbps actual download speeds and shift up to $15.5 billion over the next decade from the existing Universal Service Fund (USF). While the transition to CAF is underway, the USF contribution base would have to be broadened to ensure that it is sustainable over time. Reforms to intercarrier compensation rules would eliminate per-minute charges over the next 10 years while enabling cost recovery through the CAF.
Furthermore, the plan recommends that the United States adopt six goals for the next decade:
1. At least 100 million U.S. homes should have affordable access to actual download speeds of at least 100 Mbps and actual upload speeds of at least 50 Mbps.
2. The U.S. should lead in mobile innovation, with the fastest and most extensive wireless networks of any nation.
3. Every American should have affordable access to robust broadband service, and the means and skills to subscribe if they so choose.
4. Every American community should have affordable access to at least 1 Gbps service to anchor institutions such as schools, hospitals and government buildings.
5. To ensure the safety of the American people, every first responder should have access to a nationwide, wireless, interoperable broadband public safety network.
6. To ensure America leads in the clean energy economy, every American should be able to use broadband to track and manage their real-time energy consumption.
Money raised from future auctions of the 500 MHz in new spectrum would make the plan revenue neutral for the government's budget. Improvements in government efficiency would also drive cost savings. "The National Broadband Plan is a 21st century roadmap to spur economic growth and investment, create jobs, educate our children, protect our citizens, and engage in our democracy," said Chairman Julius Genachowski. "It’s an action plan, and action is necessary to meet the challenges of global competitiveness, and harness the power of broadband to help address so many vital national issues."... > More
FCC: Broadband Plan to Include Equal Access for People with Disabilities
The FCC's upcoming National Broadband Plan, which will be released next week, includes many recommendations on how to expand the reach and depth of broadband's benefits to people with disabilities.With broadband technologies, "we have the opportunity to consider accessibility issues relatively early in the deployment process and enable people with disabilities to share fully in the benefits of broadband,” FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said in a speech at a conference co-sponsored by Silicon Flatirons and the American Association of People with Disabilities and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.
Working recommendations in the Plan include:
- A government-wide Accessibility Initiative and establishment of a Broadband Accessibility Working Group
- An ongoing Accessibility and Innovation Forum at the FCC for stakeholders to share best practices and collaborate on accessibility solutions
- Action by the FCC, DOJ, and Congress to update accessibility laws and policies and make sure they are enforced.
- Authorization by Congress for limited use of Universal Service Fund for assistive technology users and developers
- Use of TRS funds for broadband services and assistive technology subsidies and for funding additional IP-based services.
FCC to Recommend "Connect America" Broadband Fund Instead of USF
The FCC's upcoming National Broadband Plan will propose major changes to the Universal Service Fund, a program that will distribute more than $8 billion in support in 2010. In a blog posting on the FCC's Broadband.gov website, the following recommendations were made:
- "Transition to a new Connect America Fund to extend broadband where it is not available now and to support ongoing service in those areas where it is uneconomic to provide service without governmental support – meaning that the total costs to deploy and provide broadband service exceed the total revenues derived from that broadband-capable network. Funding will be provided on a technology-neutral basis and open to any entity that can satisfy the thresholds established by the FCC."
- Create a new, targeted Mobility Fund to ensure that everyone in the country has access to 3G wireless services. Some states are significantly lagging behind the national average for 3G coverage. The Mobility Fund would provide a targeted subsidy in such areas to bring those states up to the national average."
- "Reform intercarrier compensation to gradually phase out per-minute charges, while providing carriers with the opportunity for adequate cost recovery from customers, and, where necessary, from the Connect America Fund. Adopt interim rules to address arbitrage. "
EU Opens Consultation on Future of Universal Service
The European Commission has opened a public consultation on the future of Universal Services in the digital age.
Current EU rules on universal service obligations for telecoms date from 2002 and guarantee that Europeans have access to public telephone networks and to services like basic internet access.
The new consultation aims to see if these rules and definitions on universal service need to be updated for the digital age, and in particular if they should be extended to cover broadband access. The consultation will run until 7 May 2010.
Among the questions the consultation aims to address are: Should universal service principles help to reach the EU's goal of 'broadband for all', or would competition on the open telecoms market or other policy options be more effective? With regard to the Digital Divide, what is the right balance between a coordinated EU-wide response and the need for national flexibility? How should universal service be financed in the future?
Verizon Supports FCC's Spectrum Proposal for National Broadband Plan
Verizon voiced its support for FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski's recent proposal to free up 500 Megahertz of new spectrum over the next decade as part of the upcoming National Broadband Plan.
Verizon said it agrees that newly identified spectrum should be subject "to market-based policies that will promote innovation, speed the delivery of advanced wireless products and services, and ensure that commercial spectrum flows to uses the market values most."
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