Blog | News & Information on Wireless Services & Telecommunications
Posted: 12/01/11 by Mobile Future Team
Today, the House Energy & Commerce Communications & Technology Subcommittee marked up legislation to authorize voluntary spectrum auctions to repurpose broadcast spectrum for mobile use.
Mobile Future Chairman Jonathan Spalter responded to the legislation, stating:
"We appreciate Chairman Walden and the subcommittee’s efforts today to move legislation forward to make additional wireless spectrum available to keep pace with exploding consumer demand. With the FCC predicting a spectrum crunch by 2013 for the nation’s 300 million wireless consumers, the clock is ticking. We strongly urge Congress to enact legislation to bring more wireless spectrum online as quickly as possible."
To read the full statement, click here.
Posted: 06/30/11 by Jonathan Spalter
In the nation's capital we are beginning to see movement on a critical issue for U.S. wireless consumers with a voracious appetite for innovative mobile services, products and devices -- initial steps to address the coming mobile capacity crunch.
As the mercury rises in the nation's capital, it's not just leaders from Capitol Hill to the White House to the Federal Communications Commission who are calling for timely action on the spectrum exhaustion our nation faces. A broad array of influential voices are now stepping forward to make clear the high and shared stake -- for our economy, consumers and American innovation -- of ensuring the wireless web can continue to keep pace with fast-expanding consumer demand.
Here are four key highlights for those keeping score at home:
Network engineers sound the alarm. According to a study by Rysavy Research commissioned by Mobile Future, "capacity will not be able, absent additional spectrum, to meet the data demands of consumers in three to four years if consumers use the applications they desire." The clock is ticking and much bolder moves are needed now by the government to help free up more spectrum for connected consumers. In my view, the AT&T-T-Mobile merger is an important step in easing the spectrum crunch through market-based mechanisms. That said, it's a dangerous myth to assume one business merger -- even one of this magnitude -- can "solve" the spectrum shortage.
Top U.S. tech companies back robust wireless networks. Three years ago, we'd never heard the word "app." Today, wireless consumers can choose from nearly 1 million of them--sold by 26 competing online stores. By 2015, the "apps economy" is forecast to climb to $38 billion. That's real jobs and economic opportunities flowing primarily to the U.S. No surprise then that leading U.S. tech companies, including Microsoft, Facebook and Yahoo, recently weighed in with the FCC that "an increasingly robust and efficient wireless network is part of a virtuous innovation cycle and a healthy wireless ecosystem is an important part of our global competitiveness."
Key technology investors urge timely fix. From helping grow the economy to keeping up with consumers and innovators, we must have reliable and fast mobile connectivity. That's why prominent venture capital firms also took the rare step of weighing in with the FCC, both in support of the merger and the broader spectrum effort. "The greatest opportunity for economic growth involves wireless broadband and mobile devices," they wrote. "But this great growth opportunity faces a major impediment with the looming prospect of 'spectrum exhaust.'"
Key groups link to digital divide. In his State of the Union address, President Obama called for 98 percent of Americans to have access to the mobile Internet within five years. That would be a significant milestone for our economy and for closing the digital divide. Mobile broadband opens doors for all Americans -- from helping a blind person walk down the street with voice-activated directions to assisting people living with chronic illnesses in managing their health. Too often overlooked in the debates, African Americans and Hispanics lead the nation in cell phone ownership and wireless Internet use, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project. So important is the mobile Internet that 14 national Latino groups co-signed a letter stating that "this merger could provide opportunities to achieve many of these objectives by bringing the possibility of faster, smarter wireless networks to more Hispanics, further shrinking the digital divide."
Spectrum is a complex debate. Even more true, it's an essential one to get right today. Congress is starting to move on spectrum legislation, but the clock is ticking. Today, we see a rising tide of voices -- innovators, entrepreneurs, capital investors and community representatives -- joining the call for spectrum now. The question that remains is will Washington answer -- and do so in time to keep the mobile future bright, healthy and growing for us all.
Jonathan Spalter, chairman of Mobile Future, has been founding CEO of leading technology, media, and research companies, including Public Insight, Snocap, and Atmedica Worldwide. He served as an advisor to and spokesperson for Vice President Al Gore during the Clinton administration.
Mobile Future is a 501(c)(4) coalition comprised of and supported by technology businesses, non-profit organizations and individuals dedicated to advocating for an environment in which innovations in wireless technology and services are enabled and encouraged. For a full list of members and sponsors and to learn more about the coalition, go to www.mobilefuture.org.
Follow Jonathan Spalter on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mobilefuture
This article was originally published on Huffington Post.
Posted: 12/20/10 by Jonathan Spalter
As the clock continues to tick towards tomorrow's all-hands meeting of the Federal Communications Commission, at which a common-sense solution to preserve the open Internet may finally be agreed upon, some very thoughtful and unexpected voices are weighing in to the debate, urging that we "be done, and move forward."
What is most surprising, and refreshing, is that these voices are coming not only from inside the Beltway, but also from very far outside of it. And they - rightly - are urging the FCC to sign-on to the reasonable compromise that has been fashioned by its Chairman, Julius Genachowski, so that our nation and our economy at last can put this vexing (and very Washington, D.C.-focused) debate behind us, and get on with the important work of innovating, creating jobs, and investing in our communications ecosystem.
So, for anybody who cares about this debate, a quick scan through the following short articles, which come from a diverse group including a start-up tech leader in Silicon Valley, progressive political voices in South Carolina, a leader in the American labor movement as well as a leading voice in the U.S. minority community, would be very enlightening.
These voices are among the many that want to stand-up and be counted as supporting the FCC Chairman's common-sense plan to preserve and protect an open Internet. What distinguishes these perspectives is that they include new, passionate but reasonable, and decidedly non-Washington viewpoints. These perspectives, to put it mildly, are needed now more than ever before.
• The Hill, "The Myth of 'Real' Net Neutrality" by Manolo Espinosa, co-founder of hosted website search firm IndexTank
• The State, "Riley, Rivers: Ending net-neutrality debate will spur growth in SC" by Richard Riley, the former governor of South Carolina and former secretary of education under President Bill Clinton; and David Rivers, a Charleston native and board member of the Alliance for Digital Equality.
• "Consensus Today: Broadband Tomorrow" by Larry Cohen, President of the Communications Workers of America; and Marc Morial, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Urban League.
This article was originally published on Huffington Post.
Posted: 11/18/10 by Mobile Future Team
Today, the White House’s Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra, members of Congress, and representatives from top tech companies including Google and Dell gathered for Politico’s “What’s Next for Technology: How Washington Will Act on Key Policy Issues in 2011.” Discussions focused on the cross section of ideas and innovation in technology- and what we can expect to see policy-wise from the 112th congress.
Broadband played a key role in many of the discussions- among the White House’s top initiatives for next year is spectrum policy, namely solidifying a voluntary process for incentive auctions, according to Chopra. Members from both chambers of Congress had similar outlooks on the importance of broadband; Senator John Ensign (R-NV) explained that we should let the internet continue to flourish and stressed the importance of USF reform. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) stated that as mobile broadband growth continues to accelerate, we need to conduct spectrum inventory and evaluate opportunities to make more spectrum available to meet growing demand.
Click here to read more coverage.
Posted: 10/07/10 by Mobile Future Team
President Obama will sign The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act tomorrow- updating the Americans With Disabilities Act while emphasizing the important role new telecom technologies have had on those with disabilities. The act will not only increase the use of closed captioning on the internet, but it will also upgrade the way emergency information is communicated. To read more about how wireless technology can improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities, click here.
Posted: 07/26/10 by Jonathan Spalter
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 — landmark legislation that ensures equal opportunity and accessibility for the 54 million, or one out of five, Americans living with some form of a disability. We have seen terrific progress over the past twenty years and there is still much work to be done.
One bright spot where new tools are being developed to help increase opportunity and independence for those with disabilities is in wireless. With technology leaping forward at warp speed, mobile innovators are developing new products, services and applications to both anticipate and meet evolving consumer demands and particularly the needs of those with disabilities.
For example, a smartphone uses voice activation on a mapping application to guide a visually impaired person walking down the street. Mobile screen readers narrate everything from the day's newspaper stories to email messages. And new mobile tools help distinguish between $5 and $10 dollar bills and cans of peas or corn on the pantry shelf.
Mobile Future's recently released white paper titled, "Mobile Ability: The Transformational Impact of Wireless Innovation for People with Disabilities" takes a closer look at how wireless technology can improve the quality of life and enhance inclusiveness for individuals with disabilities. The report explores how important the intersection of mobile innovation and broadband technology is for people with disabilities in the areas of employment, health care, education and emergency response.
Mobile technology has revolutionized communications worldwide, and in doing so, has reshaped the way society functions as a whole. Robust investment in wireless has allowed innovators to dream big and invent affordable and accessible technologies that provide consumers with advancements and opportunities never dreamed possible.
The ADA was a beacon of hope for millions of Americans and led to countless opportunities. But while we celebrate this monumental legislation this week, we must not forget that there is still more policymakers can do.
To help spur even more potential mobile solutions for those with disabilities, we must free up more spectrum to accommodate the looming mobile data crunch. We also need to remove barriers to technology like high taxes and fees on communications services. We must continue to encourage the strong collaboration between innovators and the disability community on mobile technologies. And, finally, policymakers must support efforts to modernize local 911 infrastructures.
As the FCC and Congress move forward to implement the National Broadband Plan, policymakers must strive to keep the goals of the ADA in mind and continue to uphold the wise regulatory policies that fuel innovation, competition and a consumer-driven mobile future for all.
This article was originally published on Huffington Post.
Posted: 05/18/10 by Jonathan Spalter
"High speed Internet empowers people with disabilities to become more independent. [It] can remove barriers that keep people with disabilities from participating in everyday activities such as employment, education, civic responsibilities and social connection."
From a joint statement by: The American Association of People with Disabilities and The Communications Workers of America
For America's 54 million people with disabilities, two important events happen this summer. First, there's Memorial Day, when disabled veterans will proudly lead ceremonies and officials will emphasize the need to help those injured in conflict.
Second, July 26th is the 20th anniversary of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA was a long time in coming and is probably the single most empowering law during the past generation. But while the ADA has been instrumental in providing legal help for Americans with disabilities, something else is doing an important job in improving basic living standards.
It's your mobile phone.
That's the conclusion of a new research paper that Mobile Future issued today. For all the talk about texting, streaming video, gaming and other apps, one of the most heartening mobile developments involve affordable, life-changing improvements for those with disabilities. The FCC also recognizes this development and hosted a workshop to explore ways in which new technologies can offer opportunities to meet the communications access needs of people with disabilities.
Take the hearing impaired. In 2006, according to the CDC, 37 million adults in the United States had trouble hearing (ranging from a little trouble to being deaf). That's an increase of more than five million since 2000.
As described in Mobile Future's paper, a new wireless system developed at the Georgia Tech Research Institute offers those with hearing difficulties the ability to caption events in real-time. The device translates spoken words into text and displays it on a screen.
Meanwhile, according to Scientific American, researchers at the University of Washington (Seattle) are developing software that lets mobile phone users communicate through sign language and real-time video instead of being limited to text messaging.
But what about those who can't see? Some of the same technology that lets you save money while shopping is also turning the phone into an electronic seeing-eye companion.
As we discovered, mobile apps can use smartphone cameras to scan labels and announce the contents of grocery items, their nutrition labels, and even pill bottles. When merged with GPS technology, these apps can assist the visually impaired by giving them step-by-step directions through their smartphone.
Know someone with a speaking disability? An estimated 6 to 8 million Americans have this challenge. Many, if not most, can now take advantage of low- or no-cost communications apps on their cell phone. There's voice output software that conveys typed messages; downloadable text-to-speech software can be an effective, less-costly alternative to speech devices covered by private insurance and Medicare.
Also, some experts say that children with speech impairments often prefer using "mainstream" technology which is less stigmatizing.
Mobile Future's research paper is meant to be both an assessment and a celebration of the key innovations that are helping those with disabilities. It is also a "look-ahead" at the next phase wireless technologies in the pipeline which promise even more transformational impacts for the one in five Americans who live with disabilities.
This column was originally posted on Huffington Post on May 13, 2010.
Posted: 04/15/10 by Molly Kocour
Congress is making progress on important legislation that is near and dear to Mobile Future's heart - the Radio Spectrum Inventory Act. This week, the House passed the bill, which is co-sponsored by Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.), and charges the Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunications & Information Administration to account how and where private stakeholders are using spectrum. It is expected to be passed by the Senate and signed into law soon. Mobile Future Chairman Jonathan Spalter issued the following statement in response to the bill's passage:
“We applaud the passage of the Radio Spectrum Inventory Act in the House. With wireless Internet usage projected to grow at 100 times the rate of wireless voice traffic over the next 10 years, spectrum is a precious resource. The passage of this bill helps pave the way to make more spectrum available quickly and responsibly to keep pace with consumer demand and enable the next wave of mobile innovation and economic opportunities.”
You can read more about spectrum here.
Posted: 03/23/10 by Mobile Future Team
As I’m confident you’re aware, the House of Representatives voted to pass healthcare reform Sunday evening after one of the most grueling and public legislative debates in our nation’s history. Earlier this morning, President Obama signed the bill into law. Whether you consider yourself conservative or progressive, Americans are united in their belief that this sweeping piece of legislation will have far-reaching effects on a variety of industries and enterprises.
The wireless industry is no different, as is illustrated by the mHealth initiatives playing a leading role at this week’s CTIA show in Las Vegas. And thankfully for consumers, the adage “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” is not applicable to the exciting new wireless health technologies being unveiled daily.
The passage of healthcare reform in conjunction with the recent release of the FCC’s National Broadband Plan provides for expanded opportunities in wireless health technologies, an industry whose market will reach an estimated value of $4.6 billion by 2014. According to a report (summarized here) released Friday by CSMG, the mHealth market is currently expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 25%, with the potential for increased acceleration over the next few years.
Wireless health technologies posses the capacity to revolutionize the way American’s access healthcare. Providing services like low-cost sensors and wireless remote monitoring that translate into the right care at the right time, mHealth can help drive down costs and make overall industry operation more effective.
Posted: 03/16/10 by Jonathan Spalter
Cross-posted from Huffington Post
Heading into the mid-term elections, these are divisive times in the nation's capital. But today Washington witnessed a rare moment of comity, as the Federal Communications Commission released its much-anticipated National Broadband Plan. All five commissioners signed a joint statement embracing the broad objectives of the plan.
It will take days, if not weeks, for the various stakeholders to fully digest a blueprint of this ambition and scope. But before the detail-oriented debates ensue -- and the inevitable divisions emerge -- it's worth taking a moment to step back and offer an appreciation of the process that got us to this potentially historic day.
President Obama was elected on the promise of inclusive and connected government. In crafting this plan, the FCC offered a compelling model of how that gets done. The efforts of Chairman Genachowski and his broadband team have been exceptionally open. The three dozen policy workshops on topics ranging from civic engagement to connected health were webcast live and archived online, allowing ample opportunity for citizen engagement. Several dealt exclusively with the potential of mobile broadband, ranging from thoughtful debates on spectrum to discussions of bleeding-edge applications and wireless deployment. Commissioners also reached outside the beltway, holding nine field hearings throughout the country to bring diverse perspectives into the conversation.
As for the product itself, I am heartened that the Commission recognizes the critical role wireless technology can play to spur global competitiveness, innovation and sustainable job creation. Profoundly significant to mobile consumers and innovators alike is the vow to free up 500 megahertz of wireless spectrum. This is essential progress to support the boom in connected devices -- from the iPhone to the Kindle to mobile medical tablets, digital textbooks and future innovations yet to be imagined.
Other regulatory proceedings that may flow out of the plan could be more polarizing. The depth of division and passion on both sides of the net neutrality regulatory debate is well-known. And, the rumors of an attempt to overturn the Supreme Court's landmark Brand X decision, which essentially upheld the privatized nature of U.S. broadband networks, would likely make the net neutrality debate look like a walk in the park.
Likewise, narrower proposals to create new rules -- whether to impose wholesaling requirements or mandate the provision of "free" broadband services -- would affect many aspects of the already intensively competitive and innovative wireless market and could actually undermine the very laudable objectives of the national broadband plan. The FCC must resist these extreme calls and tread carefully to avoid disrupting an American industry that leads the world and is working extremely well today.
Among the cornerstones of the plan is a 'shoot for the moon' goal of connecting 100 million U.S. households to 100 megabits per second broadband service over the next decade. Goals of this ambition require an unshakeable policy foundation that is unequivocally supportive of investment. This means the many rulemakings that likely flow out of this plan must be cohesive in nature -- pulling in the same constructive and unifying direction and staying true to the Chairman's early and firm commitment to fact-based, data-driven decisions.
As we look to the future, I hope the Chairman remains steadfast in his commitment to encouraging a wireless ecosystem that can fundamentally transform our society and our economy. As we begin the long and hard process of translating bold ideas into concrete, attainable and constructive actions, the hard work is yet ahead. It is my hope that we stay true to this open and participatory process and keep in sight the larger goals of advancing deployment, accelerating investment and promoting genuine competition.
History will judge this plan on its effectiveness. If it does so favorably, a nod is due to the process that got us to this day. It's a famous old adage in Washington that you don't want to see the sausage being made. But thanks to the very innovation we unite today to celebrate and advance, a new era of openness and participatory government has arrived.
Jonathan Spalter, chairman of Mobile Future, has been founding CEO of leading technology, media, and research companies, including Public Insight, Snocap, and Atmedica Worldwide. He served as an advisor to and spokesperson for Vice President Al Gore during the Clinton administration. www.mobilefuture.org.
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Tags: Consumer Awareness, Consumer Benefits, Legislation, News, Spectrum, Wireless Innovation