The New America Foundation will hold a Capitol Hill lunch policy forum called
The speakers are John Muleta (CEO and Co-Founder, M2Z Networks Former Chief, FCC Wireless Bureau), Chris Guttman-McCabe (VP, Regulatory Affairs, CTIA – The Wireless Association), Ben Scott (Policy Director, Free Press), Marty Dougherty (CEO, Roadstar Internet Inc. and Member, Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA)), Morgan O’Brien (CEO, Cyren Call Communications Co-Founder, Nextel Communications). The moderator is Michael Calabrese, Vice President and Director, Wireless Future Program, New America Foundation.
With U.S. broadband penetration still lagging far behind other advanced economies‚Äö?Ñ?Æand rural and low-income areas in particular being left on the wrong side of the digital divide‚Äö?Ñ?Æa variety of emerging wireless technologies offer the potential to quickly and cost-effectively bring affordable and ubiquitous broadband access to all Americans. While these wireless solutions offer great promise, they all suffer from a lack of adequate access to the public airwaves (spectrum)‚Äö?Ñ?Æeither on an exclusive licensed or shared, unlicensed basis.
Recently, two start-ups have proposed innovative but controversial new nationwide wireless broadband networks, premised not on spectrum auctions, but on valuable grants of spectrum in return for extensive public interest service obligations. M2Z Networks, co-founded by former FCC Wireless Bureau Chief John Muleta, has requested 20 MHz of currently unassigned, fallow spectrum to provide a two-tier “family friendly” broadband service (including a basic free offering and a faster, premium service) reaching 95% of the U.S. population. Cyren Call, headed by Nextel co-founder Morgan O’Brien, has proposed reallocating 30 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band, currently set to be auctioned in 2008, for a Public Safety Broadband Trust. This trust would partner with private companies to build a seamless nationwide broadband network optimized for public safety use, but with excess capacity used for commercial services.
Muleta and O’Brien will compare and contrast their respective proposals. Other panelists will contrast the other contending models for providing wireless broadband services. Ben Scott of Free Press will highlight municipal and nonprofit community broadband networks. Marty Dougherty will discuss the important role of commercial Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) utilizing primarily unlicensed spectrum‚Äö?Ñ?Æand the need for access to more and better unlicensed spectrum in the form of vacant TV channels (“white spaces”). Chris Guttman-McCabe of CTIA will discuss emerging 3G cellular and fixed wireless (WiMax) services operating on licensed spectrum (much of which was acquired by carriers at auction). Panelists will also discuss the role of Universal Service reform in furthering wireless broadband deployment.
To RSVP, send an email to communications@newamerica.net. If you have questions about this event, please call or email Elizabeth Wu at (202) 986-2700 ext.315 or wu@newamerica.net.
Link: www.newamerica.net/wireless_future
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