WASHINGTON-A major dispute has erupted between the wireless industry and the Clinton administration over the crafting of U.S. policy on third-generation wireless spectrum less than a year before the World Radiocommunication Conference next spring in Istanbul-a venue that could move to Geneva because of heightened concerns about security following last week’s conviction by a Turkish court of a Kurdish rebel leader.
The controversy over 3G spectrum harmonization, a festering problem in U.S. WRC-2000 preparations, comes just as carriers and manufacturers worldwide appear settled on a framework for 3G standards harmonization. The Code Division Multiple Access and Time Division Multiple Access standards are expected to be translated into technical rules by year’s end.
Last week, U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky and Commerce Secretary William Daley wrote Karel van Miert-the European Commission head of industrial affairs and information-telecommunications technologies-urging the EU to join the United States in embracing the carrier plan for 3G standards harmonization and threatening to complain to the World Trade Organization if Europe ignores International Telecommunication Union-adopted standards.
“Where member state regulators initiate licensing processes that will provide market access solely for the single standard currently approved by ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute), the United States will consider all options to address the trade concerns this would raise,” the administration stated.
In a new flare-up, the White House has decided to kill a footnote from the 1992 WRC that designates the 1.8-2.2 GHz band for 3G but gives countries the option of using that spectrum for other purposes.
“Detailed WRC-based planning can diminish the flexibility of countries to manage essentially short-range domestic radio, and has proven to be disadvantageous or irrelevant in certain instances. Footnotes like S5.388 do not constitute an allocation and lack definition and regulatory purpose, ” states a U.S. draft proposal for WRC-2000.
U.S. positions on WRC are developed by the State Department, Commerce Department and Federal Communications Commission.
The FCC is expected shortly to put the U.S.-WRC proposal on 3G spectrum out for public comment .
The United States said it prefers listing existing and additional 3G bands in a new resolution or recommendation at WRC 2000.
Many in industry disagree, arguing some level of spectrum guidance-albeit with flexibility-is necessary to implement 3G worldwide to realize benefits like global roaming, low equipment costs and economical service charges to mass-market consumers.
Many wireless carriers and manufacturers want to retain the WRC ’92 footnote and modify it to include all other frequency bands that WRC-2000 identifies for 3G use.
“IMT-2000 [3G] is a concept developed by both sectors of the ITU that is global in scope,” stated the majority industry proposal. “The objective of IMT-2000 is to provide seamless communications on a worldwide basis, the benefits of which will only be fully realized if administrations work together to harmonize implementation, both of standards and spectrum. A large amount of resources have already been expanded in this effort by administrations, manufacturers and service providers. Identification of appropriate frequency bands in a footnote is the best way to promote the worthy goals of this global concept.”
Lucent Technologies Inc. dissented from the majority industry position, saying it wanted the WRC ’92 footnote broadened to identify spectrum encompassing existing cellular and personal communications services that will be evolving to 3G. As such, Lucent decided to support the White House proposal to eliminate the footnote.
The Wireless Communications Association, which represents multichannel, multipoint distribution system operators, also opposed the majority industry position on the 3G footnote.
Some industry observers speculate the U.S. effort to remove the footnote-with its identification of prospective 3G frequencies-might be related to efforts on Capitol Hill to give the Pentagon priority status to shared spectrum and the global positioning system, or GPS.
The wireless industry is dissatisfied with the latest changes made by the staff of Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), chairman of the Armed Services Committee, to Pentagon spectrum provisions in the Department of Defense authorization act.
The Clinton administration continues to oppose that DOD spectrum measure as well.
“The legislation could create billions of dollars of unfunded liabilities both with the private sector and the federal government while discouraging investment in new and more efficient spectrum technologies,” FCC Chairman William Kennard wrote Warner last week.
Another theory is the United States, fearing it could be outmaneuvered by the EU in the potentially lucrative market, is seeking the repeal of the WRC ’92 footnote as a trade tactic.
Yet, there is a sense within industry that the U.S. government is out of touch with global marketplace realities and growing concern that it will not adequately represent U.S. wireless interests at WRC-2000.
Indeed, there is grumbling about having Vonya McCann-head of telecommunications and information technology policy at State-head the U.S. delegation to WRC-2000. In the past, WRC delegations have been headed by industry leaders and political appointees.
There is uncertainty, too, about the location of WRC-2000 in Istanbul. It is unclear whether a new conference center will be completed in time for the conference, which will be held May 8 through June 2.
Moreover, there is heightened concern the death sentence given Kurdish separatist leader Abdullah Ocalan for his role in a bloody conflict over Kurdish autonomy-which has left 37,000 dead during the past 15 years-could unleash a wave of terror in Turkey and in Europe.
