As I think back over the recent Competitive Carriers Association 2015 Global Expo in Atlanta for this Generation Wireless column, I begin to see three major trends: leveraging big data to make smarter networks; capitalizing on existing spectrum assets; and preparing for changes in telecom policy as Congress wakes up to how much the wireless world has changed since the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
Smarter networks
There was growing consensus at CCA that networks need to be smarter, more flexible and more efficient. Consumers are increasing their data usage at staggering rates, and as technology evolves and Internet connectivity becomes a more ingrained part of everyday life, networks are left with staggering data loads they need to adapt and respond to.
In efforts to identify more efficient ways to use limited spectrum, carriers are increasingly turning to big data in an effort to build their network architectures around users’ needs and combat high-traffic, low-coverage zones through the use of small cells and more efficient deployment of infrastructure. However, this use of technology has the potential to cause agitation among the very customers carriers are looking to service.
Tools, which allow networks to identify user-specific browsing habits and identify their IP address, have the potential to ferment backlash among users who are increasingly cognizant of their privacy and the potential violations to it in the post-Snowden era.
When the National Security Association phone monitoring scandal went public, the fact that the NSA had been using only the phone metadata to identify potential threats to national security was lost on most citizens, who saw no difference between metadata collection and aggressive violations of privacy.
Wireless companies looking to effectively leverage big data solutions in the future will need to be wary of giving consumers even the briefest impression that in analyzing the demographic trends in their data use patterns, they are somehow collecting customer’s individual data usage. Such a misconception could provoke a furor of lawsuits and broken contracts at a time when it is critical for companies to be investing heavily in the smart redeployment of their infrastructure.
New technology
In the effort to capitalize on available spectrum without provoking backlash, firms are exploring new and alternative technologies that, although proven, have been under-used for various reasons.
This is seen as an imperative as the average American mobile user consumes 1.38 gigabytes per month and the average American household averages 50 GB of data per month.
The spectrum crunch is growing as U.S. companies strive to keep up with the demand for better Internet and data services. The most recent Federal Communications Commission spectrum auction netted over $40 billion in bids in large part because of the huge growth in demand and the limited spectrum space available.
Just some examples of new technology that drives spectrum efficiency include: self-interference cancellation; point-to-multipoint delivery like LTE-Broadcast; and accessing higher frequencies using millimeter wave antennas.
Updating the law to reflect the reality of generation wireless
Uncertainty for some small carriers is confounded by how the federal government is regulating the telecom space, especially in light of the recent public spat over net neutrality. A major topic of discussion at CCA was if and when lawmakers will move to update rules governing telecom regulation.
Since Fred Upton and Gregg Walden, chairmen of the House Commerce Committee and Telecommunications Subcommittee, respectively, announced the decision to update the Communications Act of 1996 in 2013, thousands of white papers have been produced on the subject and feedback has been solicited by Congress from numerous sources across the telecom industry.
At CCA there was a broad consensus that the Communications Act does need to be updated to address the changing realities of the mobile market. One particular aspect that needs to be addressed is the mobile cap on the Universal Service Fund, which limits the amount of money that can be directed from USF fees into wireless infrastructure, despite the fact that wireless USF fees comprise an increasing portion of USF revenue as the nation switches from wired to wireless devices.
Industry experts agree that a major roadblock holding up any movement on the Communications Act is the hangover from the net neutrality ruling released in February. Net neutrality, which became a topic of public discussion last year and garnered 3.7 million public comments, has become a political football with Sen. and presidential candidate Ted Cruz (R-Texas) tweeting “Net neutrality is Obamacare for the Internet; the Internet should not operate at the speed of government.”
Conclusion
The wireless industry is changing, demand is skyrocketing and, with it, the customer expectation for high-quality service. While lawmakers bicker and large carriers use their lawyers and deep pockets to maintain their market share, small carriers are left to their own devices and, thanks to their flexibility and ability to innovate, appear prepared for not just the next quarter but the next decade of telecommunication evolution.
