Wireless players back Frontline’s open-access proposal

A collection of wireless industry entrepreneurs urged Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin to build open access into one of the 700 MHz licenses set to be auctioned later this year, saying the agency has an historic opportunity to unlock a new wave of wireless broadband innovation.
The letter, signed by former executives at Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C., Zingy, Vindigo, Omnisky, PalmSource and Penthera, backs Frontline Wireless L.L.C.’s plan to include open access in a nationwide, commercial wireless broadband-public safety network in the 700 MHz band. Frontline’s proposal would also dedicate a portion of spectrum in the E block for re-auction by the licensee, a concept pushed by Internet search engine titan Google Inc.
Consumer groups, high-tech firms and a huge citizen grass-roots contingent back the Frontline approach.
The mobile phone industry, for its part, opposes Frontline’s and Google’s proposals. The public-safety community has reservations about both initiatives, but has not explicitly opposed them.
“One does not have to ask Comcast or Time Warner Cable or even Verizon’s DSL division for permission to launch a new product, service or device,” the coalition said in its letter to Martin. “To borrow the Nike slogan, you can ‘just do it.’ In wireless, on the other hand, you can ‘just ask the Big 4.'”
The FCC wants to issue 700 MHz rules in the next two months to give prospective bidders at least six months to prepare for the auction.
“Over time, the provision of open-access services by at least one carrier in the market could apply competitive pressure to the others to open up as well,” the coalition said in a press release. “A slight regulatory nudge could result in a major push by market forces.”