Verizon Wireless CTO: ‘We are not the enforcers of the Internet’: Lynch discusses network technology, management

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — A wireless carrier’s job is not to police copyright infringement or other illegal activity that occurs over its network, Dick Lynch, executive VP and CTO of Verizon Wireless, said here at the Tech Policy Summit.
“Our philosophy, a well-considered philosophy I might add, is that we are not the enforcers of the Internet,” he said. Verizon Wireless’ responsibility to its customers rests in delivering bits of data — simple as that, he added.
“It’s not our job to try to go out and enforce copyrights,” he said. “I’m not sure I could if I wanted to, but it’s not our job to do that.”
However, Lynch pointed that out that the carrier has taken a different tack in the case of child pornography. He said Verizon Wireless joined an initiative to blacklist distributors of such content and block access to their sites.
Spectrum and network plans
During the discussion, Lynch was asked what the No. 2 carrier planned to do with the $9.63 billion it won in spectrum during the 700 MHz auction. Lynch replied that he’d be more than happy to discuss the issue when the FCC’s gag rule lifts April 3.
As for Verizon Wireless’ network future, Lynch said the carrier last year faced three options that all required it to stray from its traditional technology path.
“All three of those technologies (LTE, UMB and WiMAX) are all a discontinuous change in technology from the status quo,” he said. “I don’t get the benefit that I got in the past from staying with my current path.”
Verizon Wireless late last year announced it would eventually move to the LTE standard for network technology, thereby forsaking the evolution path set out by the CDMA community.
However, Lynch praised Verizon Wireless’ use of CDMA.
“CDMA has been very good to us,” he said. “In my belief it continues to be the best radio technology that we could have deployed at the time.”
Opening up
Lastly, Lynch elaborated on the company’s plan to certify more non-subsidized, unlocked devices for use on the carrier’s network. He said Verizon Wireless hopes to approve such devices within a month’s time, and that consumers who access the network through such devices won’t be required to sign a contract for service.
“We’re not expecting a contract from them at all,” he said, adding that millions of people already use Verizon Wireless’ network contract-free through services such as OnStar.
“The contract has a lot to do with the subsidization of the device,” he added. “The fact is if there’s no subsidization of that device then the need for a contract diminishes.”