WASHINGTON-After a shaky start, Clinton administration officials last week said progress is being made at the World Radiocommunication Conference on a global multiband spectrum allocation for third-generation mobile phone systems.
“There’s no more talk about a single band. All the talk is about a multiband proposal,” Ambassador Gail Schoettler, head of the U.S. delegation to WRC-2000, told reporters via telephone from Istanbul Thursday.
But Schoettler was quick to caution that events could change at a moment’s notice, given the fluid and fragile nature of negotiations and consensus-building.
“Things can change,” said Schoettler.
Indeed, the frenetic pace of the conference has working groups and drafting committees in motion on different issues at all times of the day and night. Gauging support and opposition is tricky business.
For example, a particular working group may indicate an inclination toward a proposal, but countries not involved in that working group may chose to speak out at a plenary session, completely changing the dynamic of the debate.
Negotiating is done in hallways and over meals. With 2,500 delegates from 150 countries, lobbying proposals and tracking their status is a challenge.
Major decisions on 3G spectrum and other issues are not expected to be made until the final days-possibly even the final hours-of the conference.
After the second week of WRC-2000, U.S. delegates had reason for renewed optimism.
Schoettler said Central American and South American countries have agreed to support the 2.5 GHz and 1.7 GHz bands for 3G. Previously, many Central American and South American countries, as well as Canada, supported a single band-1.7 GHz-for 3G.
Asia-Pacific nations, according to the administration, already have a 3G multiband spectrum plan similar to the one being shopped by the United States.
In addition, U.S. officials believe the European Union has signaled its willingness to back a flexible, multiband spectrum approach to 3G.
At the start of WRC-2000, which runs to June 2, a sweeping proposal by European and Arab states included language favoring multiple frequency bands for 3G.
But because the European-Arab plan included other proposals not supported by the United States and others, it was rejected by the end of the first week of the conference.
“We did not want to have two groups out of the entire conference determine how the issues would be resolved just because they came to an agreement,” said Schoettler.
Having killed the European-Arab telecom package, the United States believes it learned something valuable: the Europeans are not necessarily wed to a single global band (1.7 GHz) for 3G.
“In an attempt to get that issue [3G] as well as several others resolved, they [the EU] tipped their hand,” said Gregory Rohde, head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. NTIA, a Commerce Department agency advises the president on telecom policy and manages federal government spectrum.
The United States advocates flexible use of three global bands-698 MHz-960 MHz, 1710 MHz-1885 MHz and 2500 MHz-2690 MHz-for 3G. 3G is next-generation broadband mobile phone service that promises high-speed voice, data and video services. Experts say 3G will need 160 megahertz in five to 10 years from now.
The strong push for more 3G spectrum at WRC-2000 is not surprising. It is a multibillion dollar industry in the making.
Having uniform spectrum around the world for 3G, according to U.S. firms, will foster global roaming, bring down costs for wireless carriers and manufacturers, and lower monthly bills for consumers.
While the United States believes Europe is open to a 3G multiband scheme, the administration still realizes it does not have the European Union in its corner.
“If they [European Union] could get their way, they’d still like the 2500 MHz band. But they know they can’t get their way. So we’re not at the point where they’re saying, `Your proposal is wonderful,’ ” Schoettler said.
Satellite propositions
The United States was making headway on securing more spectrum for the satellite-based global positioning system, Schoettler said. Much work remains, however, in reconciling interference concerns between geostationary and nongeostationary satellite systems and between satellite systems and terrestrial wireless systems.
At the outset, according to sources, the wireless industry appeared to lack confidence in Schoettler and her ability to win support for the U.S.-backed flexible, multiband 3G spectrum plan.
But so far, judging from recent developments, Schoettler has given indications she’s up to the task. The momentum, with two weeks left in the conference, appears headed toward a global multiband 3G spectrum allocation.
Moreover, the United States seems to be winning support on a whole range of other spectrum issues.
At the same time, Schoettler knows she’s dealing with savvy and experienced negotiators, and that 3G global spectrum harmonization and other controversial issues are far from being resolved.
“It remains to be seen how this all plays out,” said Schoettler. “We have a lot of talking left to do.”
A bigger test could come when U.S. delegates return home and face the nettlesome challenge of figuring out how to deal with government and private-sector licensees that occupy two of the frequency bands sought by the administration for 3G.
