Editor’s Note: RCR Wireless News Washington Bureau Chief Jeffrey Silva asked the presidential campaigns of Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) to respond to e-mailed questions covering a wide range of policy matters confronting the wireless industry and the telecom/high-tech sectors generally.
McCain’s campaign answered each of the eleven questions, and the full response is included below. Obama’s campaign modified some of the questions, and declined to answer two of the eleven. The complete response from the Obama campaign is included below.
AFP Photo Robyn Beck |
INF Photos |
| What are the biggest telecom and technology issues the next president of the United States will face? | What are the biggest telecom and technology issues the next president of the United States will face? |
| Technology is a critical part of the solution to so many of the major challenges the next president will face. Our efforts to improve the economy, achieve energy independence, slow climate change, educate America’s children, and keep Americans healthy — all of these goals will rely on innovative technology. In these uncertain economic times, the role of technology in crafting an economic revival is especially crucial. The central role of technology in the McCain economic agenda is reflected in the central role that technology leaders like Meg Whitman and John Chambers have played in shaping that agenda. Our technology policy is a central part of our larger economic agenda designed to lift the economy out of its current crisis and restore the growth and prosperity Americans crave. Integral to this approach is an appreciation for the fact that broadband deployment is the defining technology issue of our time. Ubiquitous broadband deployment to all Americans will serve as rocket fuel for economic growth, improve education and healthcare, reduce energy consumption, help secure the nation and enhance productivity. Cable, DSL, and fiber have brought broadband to millions. Next-generation wireless technologies like LTE and WiMAX hold great promise for further enhancing broadband deployment and competition. The next Administration must focus on crafting policies that promote the continued investment, innovation and competition necessary to drive this transformative technology into every corner of the country. And, in turn, we must secure these networks and the Americans that use them from those that would use technology to cause harm. |
The biggest telecommunications and technology issues the next President will face include restoring leadership, promoting innovation, and ensuring that the telecommunications and technology infrastructure help us solve the nation’s biggest challenges, including strengthening the quality and affordability of our health care, advancing climate-friendly energy development and deployment, improving education throughout the country, and ensuring that America remains the world’s leader in technology. An Obama administration will make broadband development and adoption a priority as well as emphasize the importance of technology literacy, ensuring that all public school children are equipped with the necessary science, technology, and math skills to succeed in the 21st century economy. Access to computers and broadband connections in public schools must be coupled with qualified teachers, engaging curricula, and a commitment to developing skills in the field of technology. This is central to the competitiveness of our nation’s technology sector and of our citizens. In the area of health care, Barack Obama will invest $10 billion a year over the next five years to move the U.S. health care system to broad adoption of standards-based electronic health information systems, including electronic health records. An Obama administration will also phase in requirements for full implementation of health I.T. and commit the necessary federal resources to make it happen. Barack Obama knows that we need to rely on technology to help solve the critical energy and environmental problems facing this country. As he announced in his energy policy, Barack Obama will invest $150 billion over the next 10 years to enable American engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs to advance the next generation of biofuels and fuel infrastructure, accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids, promote development of commercial-scale renewable energy, and begin the transition to a new digital electricity grid. This investment will transform the economy and create millions of new jobs. |
| What would be key components of a spectrum policy under a McCain administration? | What would be key components of a spectrum policy under an Obama administration? What shortcomings, if any, do you see in existing U.S. spectrum policy? How would a new spectrum policy fit into a broader telecom-I.T. agenda of an Obama administration? Does the Bush spectrum policy initiative adequately address domestic and global challenges at time when demand is growing for a dwindling supply of airwaves needed to drive the networks of the future? |
| Spectrum must be available to those who will use it to advance the interests of the American people. Spectrum-based services have been integral to our national defense and communications policy priorities, and are an emerging solution to our broadband deployment challenges. For defense, we must ensure that federal spectrum users utilize this resource efficiently and effectively to achieve their missions. For communications policy, spectrum-based services have already transformed the voice and video markets through lower costs, increased innovation and investment, and greater coverage. Our communications policy will build on these successes by allowing spectrum to flow to highly valued uses (including broadband), transitioning spectrum away from inefficient purposes, and facilitating infrastructure investment. This means getting more spectrum out into the marketplace for advanced services using tools like the Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act. John McCain was instrumental in passing this Act, which helped transition billions of dollars worth of underutilized spectrum into the marketplace where its highest-valued use will be found. This also means adopting policies that will make more efficient use of spectrum, such as utilizing the TV white spaces.
What shortcomings, if any, do you see in existing U.S. spectrum policy? How would a new spectrum policy fit into a broader telecom-I.T. agenda of a McCain administration? Does the Bush spectrum-policy initiative adequately address domestic and global challenges at time when demand is growing for a dwindling supply of airwaves needed to drive the networks of the future? |
Opening up access to the wireless spectrum will be an important part of the Obama administration’s technology policy. This means confronting the entrenched Washington interests that have prevented the use of our public airwaves from being maximized. . An Obama administration will demand a review of existing uses of our wireless spectrum. It will create incentives for smarter, more efficient, and more imaginative use of the government spectrum and new standards for commercial spectrum to bring affordable broadband to rural communities that previously lacked it. An Obama administration will also ensure that public safety agencies are able to use the wireless spectrum, pushing strategies to develop interoperable, broadband systems for first responders. |
| Are the Federal Communications Commission and National Telecommunications and Information Administration still capable of adequately addressing in timely fashion policy issues in fast-changing telecom and tech sectors? What structural changes, if any, would a McCain administration make to either agency? | Are the Federal Communications Commission and National Telecommunications and Information Administration still capable of adequately addressing in timely fashion policy issues in fast-changing telecom and tech sectors? |
| There is no question that the FCC and NTIA face daunting policy choices, and the rapid pace of change in the technology sector emphasizes the need for regulatory humility. The heavy responsibilities shouldered by these agencies demand the appointment of men and women with the highest qualifications and character, and require giving these expert agencies the deference they deserve to develop and implement communications policy. With the right people in place, the FCC and NTIA will implement efficient regulatory processes, increase transparency, and set a clear, focused agenda for telecommunications policy. Most importantly these agencies, with strong leadership, will make the rapid and thoughtful decisions that America’s communications policy needs to keep pace with consumer needs and global competition. These goals are consistent with John McCain’s vision for improving all federal agencies. For over five years John McCain has called for changes throughout the federal government to harness technology in the service of the American people. For example, he proposed the creation of an E-Government Office to coordinate our efforts to bring government closer to its citizens. We can and should increase the accessibility and transparency of our government — and ubiquitous online access to our government would give every American the tools to be an active participant in our democracy. | Under strong leadership our agencies are capable of acting appropriately and in the public interest. An important challenge for telecommunications policy is to ensure that decisions are made in a transparent, timely manner with citizen input. In the past, the FCC has often acted without sufficient transparency. Barack Obama understands that we must use all available technologies and methods to open up the federal government, to create a new level of transparency to change the way business is conducted in Washington, thereby giving Americans the chance to participate in government deliberations and decision-making in ways that are not taking place today. |
| While the wireless industry is more competitive than other telecom sectors, consolidation in recent years has reduced the number of service providers. What steps would a McCain administration take to prevent antitrust abuses and protect consumers? Would there be support for legislation — such as that pending in Congress — for a national cellphone consumer bill of rights? How much of a role should states play in wireless in the future? Should a spectrum cap be re-instituted? | While the wireless industry is more competitive than other telecom sectors, consolidation in recent years has reduced the number of service providers. What steps would an Obama administration take to prevent antitrust abuses and protect consumers? |
| The wireless experience has taught us that consumers benefit most when competition is thriving. A McCain administration would continue to focus on putting more spectrum into the hands of innovators who will invest and create new, competitive products and services for the American people. Today spectrum-based services provide critical competitive pressure in the consumer voice and video market (through satellite services). The right public-policy approach will drive these competitive pressures to our broadband market as well. The wireless sector should be held to the same antitrust and consumer protection standards as other competitive parts of the economy. In the McCain administration, the Justice Department and the FCC will examine any wireless transactions for possible anticompetitive harms and take appropriate action. And the FCC should guard the public interest and ensure consumer rights are protected. Wireless services are inherently interstate and this creates special federal responsibilities to ensure that the use of the spectrum resource is optimized for the public interest. | The Bush administration’s abdication of serious antitrust enforcement must be addressed by a new administration. An Obama administration will recommit federal policy to the support of consumer protection measures where there is a demonstrated need. |
| What would a McCain administration do to foster advanced broadband deployment and penetration in the United States? Is a national policy needed and, if so, what role might wireless technology play? | What would an Obama administration do to foster advanced broadband deployment and penetration in the United States? Is a national policy needed and, if so, what role might wireless technology play? |
| As a first step, John McCain will seek to accurately identify unserved or under-served areas where the market is not working. He will provide incentives to companies willing to build the infrastructure to serve these areas with high speed internet services over wireline or wireless technologies. He also supports private/public partnerships to devise creative solutions and help rural areas, towns, and cities in their efforts to build out broadband infrastructure through government-backed loans or low-interest bonds. To promote universal connectivity, John McCain will establish a “People Connect Program” that rewards companies that offer high-speed Internet access services — through cable modem, DSL, fiber, licensed and unlicensed wireless, satellite, powerline — to low-income customers by allowing these companies offset their tax liability for the cost of this service. This will incentivize companies to serve the customers in these areas, and all of America will benefit from bringing these regions online. Wireless is an essential component of John McCain’s national broadband strategy. He fought to bring more spectrum into the marketplace, in part to support the goal of broadband penetration. John McCain understands that the economics of wireless deployments may make them a more viable broadband alternative in some less densely populated parts of the country. The history of vibrant competition in the wireless industry indicates that, with sufficient spectrum resources, American innovators will create multiple vigorous wireless broadband competitors that could transform the broadband marketplace. Finally, as the wild success of the cell phone demonstrates, consumers want mobility in their services. Advanced wireless broadband services promise to bring broadband not just to every household, but to every individual, wherever they are. | A national broadband policy is necessary. By rededicating our nation to ensuring that all Americans have access to broadband and the skills to use it effectively, Barack Obama will position our citizens, particularly our young people, to compete and succeed in an increasingly technology-rich, knowledge-based economy. Barack Obama believes that America should lead the world in broadband penetration and Internet access. As a country, we have ensured that every American has access to telephone service and electricity, regardless of economic status, and an Obama administration aims to accomplish the same standard for broadband Internet access. Full broadband penetration can enrich democratic discourse, enhance competition, provide economic growth, and bring significant consumer benefits. Moreover, improving our infrastructure will foster the development of competitive markets for Internet access and services that ride on that infrastructure. Barack Obama believes we can get true broadband to every community in America through a combination of reform of the Universal Service Fund, better use of the nation’s wireless spectrum, promotion of next-generation facilities, technologies and applications, and new tax and loan incentives. Specifically, Obama proposes the following policies to restore America’s world leadership in this arena: –Universal Service Reform: Obama will establish a multi-year plan with a date certain to change the Universal Service Fund program from one that supports voice communications to one that supports affordable broadband, with a specific focus on reaching previously un-served communities; –Unleashing the Wireless Spectrum: Obama will unleash the wireless spectrum so more Americans have more affordable access to bandwidth and more choices of wireless data providers; –Bringing Broadband to our Schools, Libraries, Households, and Hospitals: Obama will recommit America to ensuring that our schools, libraries, households, and hospitals have access to next generation broadband networks. He will also make sure that there are adequate training and other supplementary resources to allow every school, library, and hospital to take full advantage of broadband connectivity. –Encourage Public/Private Partnerships: Obama will encourage innovation at the local level through federal support of public/private partnerships that deliver real broadband to communities that currently lack it. |
| Lack of interoperability and broadband connectivity in public safety communications remain big problems nearly seven years after 9/11? What would a McCain administration do to improve the situation? | Lack of interoperability and broadband connectivity in public safety communications remain big problems nearly seven years after 9/11? What would an Obama administration do to improve the situation? |
| John McCain has led the fight for public safety interoperability and is the only Presidential candidate that introduced legislation to establish a nationwide interoperable emergency communications network for first responders. Creating such a network will be a national priority for the McCain Administration, and he will do what it takes to get this network up and running as soon as possible. Moreover, a McCain Administration will work with states and localities to ensure that America’s first responders have the technology and resources they need to keep us safe. | Barack Obama will appoint the nation’s first Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to ensure that our government and all its agencies have the right infrastructure, policies, and services for the 21st century. Ensuring technological interoperability of key government functions will be a priority of the CTO. By overseeing the development of a national, interoperable wireless network for local, state, and federal first responders as the 9/11 Commission recommended, the Obama administration will ensure that fire officials, police officers, and EMTs from different jurisdictions have the ability to communicate with each other during a crisis and that we do not have a repeat of the failure to deliver critical public services that occurred in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. |
| What reforms, if any, would a McCain administration pursue with respect to the stressed universal service fund? | What reforms, if any, would an Obama administration pursue with respect to the stressed universal service fund? |
| The Universal Service Fund is in need of fundamental reform. The Fund should be refocused on meeting the needs and wants of America’s families and rural businesses, rather than the more traditional focus on some special interests. John McCain will ensure that the USF serves the fundamental goal of connecting those who are not connected, and will root out the waste, fraud and abuse that often plagues the current program. A McCain Administration will work with Congress and the FCC to tackle these serious problems in this vitally important program. | An Obama administration will establish a multi-year plan with a date certain to change the Universal Service Fund program from one that supports voice communications to one that supports affordable broadband, with a specific focus on reaching previously un-served communities. |
| What would a McCain administration do to bridge the digital divide for rural, disabled and low-income Americans? | What would an Obama administration do to bridge the digital divide for rural, disabled and low-income Americans? |
| America’s communications policy must be focused on connecting all of our citizens to the network. In the Senate, John McCain has championed legislation designed to bridge this divide — from tax certificates to hearing aid compatibility, from technology grant programs for low income and minorities to video description for people with visual impairments. A McCain Administration will build on this record through reforming the universal service fund, opening new doors to individuals with disabilities, and creating the conditions for investment and competition. As mentioned before, John McCain’s “People Connect Program” will directly help bridge the divide by bringing broadband to unserved areas. Spectrum policy is a central part of this equation, because wireless services reduce infrastructure and deployment costs, reach more Americans more economically, and provide critical competitive pressures that drive down prices and promote innovation in all consumer services. | Sen. Obama will recommit the United States to ensuring that all Americans have access to broadband, particularly disabled, low-income, or rural Americans who do not currently have broadband access. Sen. Obama’s proposal to change the Universal Service Fund program from one that supports voice communications to one that supports affordable broadband, with a specific focus on reaching previously un-served communities, will drive billions of dollars of broadband investment into the homes of Americans who do not currently have access to broadband. This will have an unprecedented impact in helping to extend broadband into low-income communities and to bridge the digital divide. In addition and as previously described, an Obama administration will recommit America to ensuring that our schools, libraries, households, and hospitals have access to next- generation broadband networks. Sen. Obama’s support of innovation at the local level through federal support of public/private partnerships that deliver real broadband to communities that currently lack it is a direct response to the need to bridge the digital divide and to support those local efforts which have proven effective and sustainable. |
| How would a McCain administration leverage telecom and I.T. technologies to bolster economic growth and productivity in the United States? | How would an Obama administration leverage telecom and I.T. technologies to bolster economic growth and productivity in the United States? |
| John McCain has a broad and cohesive vision for the future of American innovation. His policies will provide pools of capital, low taxes and incentives for research in America, a commitment to a skilled and educated workforce, and a dedication to opening markets around the globe. He’s committed to crafting policies that allow American companies to continue to create innovative products and services. For example, John McCain supports a permanent and reformed R&D tax credit to spur innovation and create high tech jobs in the United States. He knows that nurturing technology and innovation is essential for solving the critical problems facing our country: developing alternative fuels, addressing climate change, stopping the spiraling expense of health care, and better educating our children. The wireless sector will be an essential partner in that mission. | Ensuring that the U.S. is a leader in the development and use of telecom and I.T. technologies is at the core of the Obama technology and innovation plan, not just because of the millions of good jobs that have been generated in those sectors and in related high-tech industries, but because these technologies are the key to ensuring growth in industries throughout the economy. In addition, they are critical to improving our education system, reducing the cost and improving the quality of health care, and making government more cost-efficient and responsive — which in turn will benefit all sectors. Government has key roles to play in funding the research that will lead to new breakthrough technologies and training the next generation of scientists, engineers, and technicians. That is why Barack Obama supports doubling federal funding for basic research and changing the posture of our federal government from being one of the most anti-science administrations in American history to one that embraces science and technology. This will foster home-grown innovation, help ensure the competitiveness of U.S. technology-based businesses, and ensure that 21st century jobs can and will grow in America. An Obama administration will recognize that government has to provide the kind of consistent, informed policies that encourage innovation and long-term investment. |
| Spectrum auctions — though raising billions of dollars for the U.S. Treasury — have become highly controversial, with complaints about the size of licenses, license conditions, buildout requirements and other rules. What changes, if any, would a McCain administration make to auction policy? Would there be support for spectrum fees? | Spectrum auctions — though raising billions of dollars for the U.S. Treasury — have become highly controversial, with complaints about the size of licenses, license conditions, buildout requirements and other rules. What changes, if any, would an Obama administration make to auction policy? Would there be support for spectrum fees? |
| John McCain was one of the first legislators to call for auctioning spectrum. Having experienced the shortcomings of comparative hearings and lotteries, John McCain understands that auctions are the best license distribution mechanism ever developed. We must continue to refine and improve our auction policies and give licensees the flexibility they need to develop services and business plans to meet consumer demands. That said, certain uses — including unlicensed, international satellite services, public safety, and noncommercial educational broadcasters — have been appropriately excluded from auctions. As for spectrum fees, they have been used with some success internationally, and may well be an important regulatory tool that will encourage the efficient use of spectrum. | Declined to answer |
| Internet and wireline telephone sectors readily accommodate third-party applications and devices on their respective networks. The FCC required open access on a third of 700 MHZ spectrum auctioned earlier this year, but appears not inclined to make it a policy across the board in the wireless industry. How would a McCain administration handle the wireless open access issue? | Internet and wireline telephone sectors readily accommodate third-party applications and devices on their respective networks. The FCC required open access on a third of 700 MHZ spectrum auctioned earlier this year, but appears not inclined to make it a policy across the board in the wireless industry. How would an Obama administration handle the wireless open access issue? |
| A McCain administration is reluctant to impose mandates in cases where competition is strong or clearly emerging. In the wireless realm, many carriers have announced plans to move to more open access. Our nation’s wireless carriers offer dozens of diverse handsets in the marketplace. And initiatives like the Open Handset Alliance’s Android are further evidence that government intervention may well not be necessary in this area. Nonetheless government can and should remain vigilant to ensure that no market failure develops that would threaten the vibrancy of the sector. | Declined to answer |
Updated article Oct. 27 to fix errors in transcription of questions
