The Competitive Carriers Association is set to host its spring event this week, with many of its members set to make the trek out to San Antonio for the festivities. Topics of discussion are expected to include the ever-increasingly competitive wireless market for smaller operators as well as upcoming spectrum auctions that could decide the fate of the market.
Since the last CCA event – the CCA fall event held last September in Las Vegas – the wireless industry’s competitive landscape has further consolidated, with Leap Wireless having recently been acquired by AT&T and smaller operators feeling continued operational pressures. Even CCA’s larger members – Sprint and T-Mobile US – have been aggressively targeting the market with new rate plans and incentives tied to garnering market share from wherever possible. The attendance of those two operators at the CCA event, as well as on select panel discussions, should provide compelling drama as to how the market is evolving under the thumb of the big two.
A lot of discussion is also expected to occur around the spectrum space as carriers lobby for favorable rules in a pair of upcoming Federal Communications Commission spectrum auctions. The FCC recently completed its H-Block proceedings that saw Dish Network walk away with 10 megahertz of spectrum in the upper 1.9 GHz band across the country, despite the participation of a number of CCA members.
More importantly, the FCC is expected to soon announce rules for its AWS-3 spectrum auction that is set to begin later this year. Rumors have begun circulating that the FCC is looking to include up to 40 megahertz of a planned 50 megahertz of spectrum set to be auctioned in the 1.7/2.1 GHz band in economic area-sized chunks. The remaining 10 megahertz of spectrum is reportedly set to be set aside in commercial market area chunks. The size of spectrum licenses was a hot topic at last fall’s CCA event, with some members arguing that if CMA-sized licenses are not included smaller operators will be unfairly penalized.
Greater discussion could come in regards to the 600 MHz incentive auction, which was recently postponed until mid-2015 by newly nominated FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. CCA members are particularly interested in that spectrum as the propagation characteristics of the 600 MHz band suit their mostly rural network plans. However, rulemaking for that auction will be complicated by the need to incentivize broadcasters in voluntarily giving up their spectrum holdings in order for the FCC to have licenses to offer up to wireless carriers.
Make sure to check back with RCR Wireless News during the CCA event as we will be livestreaming keynote sessions, including:
(Wed., March 26)
–Opening remarks by Roger Sherman, acting chief of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.
–A broadcast inventive auction panel that will include
Dan Meyer, Editor-in-Chief, RCR Wireless News (moderator)
Kathleen Ham, VP, federal regulatory affairs, T-Mobile US
Rick Kaplan, EVP for strategic planning, National Association of Broadcasters
Hadass Kogan, associate corporate counsel, Dish Network
Ben Moncrief, director, government relations, C Spire Wireless
Matt Wood, policy director, Free Press
(Thurs., March 27)
–Masayoshi Son, chairman and CEO, Softbank and Chairman, Sprint
–Scott Kelliher, VP industry sales leader-tech/telco, Yahoo
–Glenn Laxdal, VP of technology and advanced solutions, Ericsson
–Patrick Kaiser, director, wireless product marketing, Huawei Technologies (U.S.A.)
(Fri., March 28)
–Cassidy Shield, VP marketing, Platforms Business Division, Alcatel-Lucent
–A competitive carrier CEO roundtable with:
Marguerite Reardon, senior writer, CNet (moderator)
Terry Addington, CEO, SI Wireless (MobileNation)
Michael Hagg, CEO, HTC
James Hyde, President and CEO, NTelos
Linda Martin, founder and president, PC Management
Bored? Why not follow me on Twitter?
