U.S. to press WRC for acceptance of WiMAX, 700 MHz and satellite

The Bush administration is expected to push for international recognition of emerging wireless broadband and hybrid mobile satellite service services at this fall’s World Radiocommunication Conference, a position that the U.S. delegation head said is attracting support even as opposition from the European bloc looms.
“The big debate is going to be within the WRC what is IMT [International Mobile Communications], and from the U.S perspective we would like to see a broad categorization that is as inclusive as possible to allow as many technologies as possible to roll out,” said Ambassador Richard Russell at a the Wireless Communications Association International’s conference in Washington, D. C.
The U.S. strategy involves trying to win global consensus to have WiMAX, 700 MHz services and mobile satellite service with an ancillary terrestrial component covered under a larger IMT umbrella. The Federal Communications Commission already embraces 2.3 GHz, 2.5 GHz and other bands for wireless broadband. Moreover, the FCC is hopeful 700 MHz spectrum being auctioned later this year can be exploited to bring competition to the cable TV-Bell telephone broadband duopoly in the United States.
“This is going to be a major point of contention and discussion within the WRC,” Russell stated, referring to IMT. “If you actually follow the issue closely, you will find that most countries have identified a whole host of different bands and invariably when you try to reconcile bands and countries you’ll find that internationally we’re all over the map on this issue. . Looking at the other bands, actually there are problems in virtually all the other bands, so this is clearly going to be an item that we spent a lot of time and effort on, discussing what makes internationally with our counterpart countries.”
The U.S. pressed for a broader based IMT that would include cellular, personal communications services and MSS sectors at WRC-2000.
Russell said the U.S. also will pursue international backing to protect 2.5 GHz licensees from satellite interference.
Russell, associate director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and a former staff member of the House commerce and science committee, recently returned from pre-WRC meetings with counterparts in Africa and the Middle East. Between now and the conference, scheduled to begin Oct. 22 in Geneva, Russell said he intends to confer with telecom officials in Canada, Brazil, Argentina, China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Italy, Morocco and Spain. Russell is working to get the U.S. delegation-expected to number between 100 and 150 members-named next month.
Russell said he believes the U.S. is making solid progress in getting American delegation well positioned for WRC-07.
“I think there is a growing consensus emerging around the notion that we shouldn’t stovepipe too many technologies, make it too difficult to have new technologies roll out,” stated Russell. “The whole concept of technology neutrality-which we’ve been preaching for years-I think it’s taking a pretty substantial foothold internationally. It’s not universal, but it’s a lot more conducive to the notion of tech neutrality.”
Robert McCaughern, director general of spectrum engineering for regulator Industry Canada and head of his country’s WRC delegation, made explicit where he sees the major challenge coming from. “Europe is being sort of the block to getting that neutrality,” he said.