Policy Watch: Is policy driving economic growth?

While in the Nation’s capital this week, it seemed appropriate to highlight recent policy related announcements from around the industry. Join us as we look for evidence that policy is driving investment and job growth.

For starters, the White House recently announced several initiatives designed to boost American wireless innovation and released a report titled “Four Years of Broadband Growth“.  For the Cliff Notes version of the report, please see fact sheet.

According to the report, annual investment in U.S. wireless networks grew more than 40% between 2009 and 2012, from $21 billion to $30 billion. Initiatives announced in the White House memorandum include:

• Directing federal agencies to enhance the efficiency of their use of spectrum and make more capacity available to satisfy the skyrocketing demand of consumer and business broadband users.
• Directing agencies to increase their collaboration and data-sharing with the private sector so a full range of stakeholders can contribute its collective expertise to maximizing spectrum efficiency, including through greater sharing of spectrum between government and commercial users. These efforts will provide access to more spectrum for wireless broadband providers and equipment vendors as they respond to increasingly rapid consumer adoption of smartphones, tablets and other wireless devices.
• Announcing federal investments of $100 million in spectrum sharing
  and advanced communications.
• Calling upon federal agencies to increase public-private research and development (R&D) activities, emphasize spectrum efficiency in government system procurements and spectrum assignments, and improve the accuracy and scope of their reporting on spectrum usage. The move is designed to empower a White House-based Spectrum Policy Team to oversee implementation of the memorandum and make further recommendations. At the same time, the memorandum requires appropriate safeguards to protect government systems that rely on spectrum to keep Americans safe.

Other comments and announcements around the beltway include:

• National Cable and Telecommunications Association VP Brian Dietz commented on the White House report by saying “The efficient and expanded use of spectrum for unlicensed services is fundamental to the continued growth and innovation of our nation’s wireless ecosystem. Cable has invested heavily in unlicensed technologies, rapidly deploying over 150,000 public Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the country providing Internet access to consumers when they are on the go. We appreciate the President’s direction to federal agencies to work with commercial stakeholders on spectrum sharing and other collaborative means of bringing additional licensed and unlicensed spectrum to market.”
• PCIA commented on Wisconsin legislators approved state budget, Assembly Bill 40, which included a $4.3 million broadband grant program while addressing wireless network deployment initiatives, including the “shot clock,” infrastructure modifications, permit fee caps, application requirements and moratoriums. “By passing such comprehensive legislation, the state legislature has demonstrated a commitment to improving the lives of the citizens of Wisconsin through the countless opportunities wireless broadband provides.” said PCIA President and CEO Jonathan Adelstein.
• On the heels of a recent hearing entitled “Equipping Carriers and Agencies in the Wireless Era,” the Competitive Carrier Association encouraged the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, to make federal spectrum available for commercial use. In a statement, CCA President and CEO Steve Berry said, “I thank the subcommittee for addressing ways to make federal spectrum available for commercial use and for continuing monthly meetings with NTIA, [Department of Defense] and the [Federal Communications Commission] to keep these important discussions going. Competitive carriers are in desperate need of additional spectrum, and it is critically important for the government to look at innovative solutions to free up underused spectrum. This should start with the 1755-1780 MHz band paired with the 2155-2180 MHz band and could be done today.”
•  “This year alone, IP traffic is expected to grow by around 14 exabytes per month,” said BDT Director Brahima Sanou, in an International Telecommunications Union press release announcing that over 650 of the world’s tech policy makers are meeting in Warsaw, Poland to review policies designed to ensure fair competition. The ITU is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communications technologies.

Is policy driving economic growth?  Please send your thoughts to [email protected]