WASHINGTON-With only eight months before the World Radiocommunication Conference in Turkey, U.S. spectrum policy for third-generation wireless systems is on the verge of meltdown as the Clinton administration and industry continue to clash without a resolution in sight.
“The interests of the U.S government and industry cannot be served if the United States is rendered isolated and ineffective on an issue of such significant commercial consequence,” stated an industry coalition in a paper delivered to U.S. officials at a Sept. 29 State Department meeting.
Carriers and manufacturers, among other things, are angry that the U.S. 3G spectrum proposal presented in Mexico City at
CITEL, a telecom unit of the Organization of American States, did not reflect mainstream U.S. wireless industry views.
“The U.S. government process undertaken to arrive at the U.S. draft proposal has been unsatisfactory,” said the coalition.
But the wireless industry is not only fighting with the administration. It is at war with itself over WRC-2000 3G spectrum policy.
Notably absent from the industry group are Lucent Technologies Inc. and Qualcomm Inc., big backers of cdma2000 technology. The technology supposedly can be overlayed on first- and second-generation mobile phone systems. As such, the two firms may not necessarily put the same premium on securing additional 3G spectrum as do others.
The industry coalition comprises AirTouch Communications Inc., AT&T Corp., Bell Atlantic Corp., BellSouth Corp., L.M. Ericsson Inc., Ellipso Inc., Iridium L.L.C., Motorola Inc., Nokia Corp., Nortel Networks Corp., Omnipoint Corp. and the Personal Communications Industry Association.
The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, unlike PCIA, has not wholeheartedly embraced the idea of more spectrum for 3G. Instead, CTIA has concentrated on getting the 45-megahertz spectrum cap lifted to help satisfy 3G frequency needs of carriers.
Despite that, there is strong agreement within industry for an additional 160 megahertz to accommodate next-generation mobile phone systems by 2010. There also is strong support for global harmonization of 3G spectrum. Doing so, according to major wireless carriers and vendors, will help support worldwide roaming, economies of scale and the kind of regulatory certainty desired by manufacturers, financiers, carriers and governmental bodies.
The International Telecommunication Union, on a separate front, is trying to harmonize 3G technical standards by year’s end. The White House, though, remains concerned the European Union will effectively lock out American-made wireless technology by deploying technology championed by Finland’s Nokia and Sweden’s Ericsson for a pan-European 3G system.
The administration, led by the State Department, is taking a cautious approach toward 3G spectrum policy for WRC-2000.
The United States is not keen on the idea of locking in specific frequency bands for particular wireless services. The administration, for example, says global roaming can be accomplished by multi-band phones and software-defined radios.
Some in industry reply that such an approach will cause delays and burden manufacturers and consumers with extra costs.
There also is concern within the administration that earmarking either the 1710-1850 MHz band or the 2520-2670 MHz band for 3G could create problems for some military and private-sector licensees.
“I think the U.S. government still is trying to refine its position on 3G spectrum for WRC-2000,” said Richard Engelman, chief of the Planning and Negotiations Division of the Federal Communications Commission’s International Bureau.
In addition to chaos over global 3G spectrum policy, the United States appears to be struggling with organization and leadership heading into WRC-2000, scheduled May 8-June 2 in Istanbul.
WRCs are held every two years under the auspices of the ITU.
Vonya McCann, until recently U.S. coordinator and deputy assistant secretary of international communications and information policy at State, has left to join Sprint Corp.’s government relations office here.
Richard Beaird, a civil servant who worked directly under McCann, is filling in. There is a feeling within industry that Beaird may be the administration hardliner who is partly responsible for gridlock over WRC-2000 3G spectrum policy.
Meantime, with McCann out, the United States has several bilateral meetings coming up in which international telecom issues are expected to be discussed.
Early on, McCann was to lead the U.S. delegation to WRC-2000. But she was passed over after industry grumbling. Former Colorado Lt. Gov. Gail Schoettler, a Democrat, was picked instead.
But Schoettler has not been appointed by President Clinton yet, and it is unclear whether she is getting adequate briefing on WRC-2000 issues, including 3G spectrum, in the interim.
