Blog | News & Information on Wireless Services & Telecommunications

Seizing the Mobile Moment

Posted: 02/14/11 by Jonathan Spalter

President Obama made a powerful, affirming speech to the innovation community at Northern Michigan University, laying out a bold roadmap for how he plans to achieve his goal to connect virtually all Americans to the wireless Internet in the next five years.

President Obama made clear that it's not government alone -- or even foremost -- that will connect a mobile nation. Companies large and small continue to make the capital investment and commit the resources that put hundreds of thousands of Americans to work laying the pipes and building the towers of the nation's next information frontier. From the garages of Silicon Valley to the corporate and academic technology labs, innovators are competing fiercely to create the next exciting breakthrough.

In his remarks, the President acknowledged that this profound innovation and growth is the key to future prosperity for our nation, and is yielding results both for consumers and for the economy.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has long (and rightly) evangelized on the merits of fact-based, data-driven policymaking. And the facts are that choice and competition define every corner of the modern mobile marketplace. Two-thirds of Americans can choose from among five or more wireless providers. The device market could not be more hotly contested right now. Consumers can add mobile Internet to their voice service for as little as $15 a month. And, they tell the FCC in no uncertain terms that they are satisfied with their wireless services with a 92% customer satisfaction rating.

With his focus on the mobile Internet, President Obama is building from a strong base. Six out of 10 Americans now use a wireless device to access the Internet. As early as 2014, more people may go online via mobile devices than PCs. And, if the priority is digital inclusion, President Obama has squarely hit his mark. Roughly two-thirds of African-Americans and Latinos are wireless Internet users -- and one in three connect daily. Even low-income Americans are finding cost-effective ways to access the mobile web, showing an 8% growth in wireless Internet use this past year.

All of these trends clearly indicate the intensity of competition and the value it delivers every day to a diverse array of Americans. The task for government now should be to encourage this progress -- both in word and in deed -- and do what is necessary to promote investment and growth for mobile and other innovation sectors.

The President gets it. Last month, he ordered a sweeping review of federal regulations with an eye toward easing undue burdens "that have stifled innovation and have had a chilling effect on growth and jobs." If ever there was a poster-child for the profound expansion and job creation such a perspective could trigger, it is the jaw-dropping growth and innovation we have all borne witness too in recent years with wireless. From day one, Congress made the decision to let a competitive dynamic guide the marketplace. They showed rightful restraint, and we all are the beneficiaries of that decision.

As President Obama works to ensure a constructive government climate for economic growth, he's right to focus early, significant attention on wireless. In the toughest economic times the nation has seen in decades, broadband innovators -- including wireless -- have led private capital investment in the U.S. economy. Only the history books will know what true progress comes from this initiative. But if the President's wireless program is successful, one of its greatest innovations won't be a hip device or cool app, but a powerful new model for forward-looking policy in this country that unites the interests of consumers, innovators and our economy, so we can grow as we should -- together.

This article was originally published on Huffington Post.

Building virtual bridges brings us a wireless world

Posted: 05/12/09 by Diane Smith

Mobile Future board member Diane Smith spoke today before the Duluth Chamber of Commerce.  In addition to her speech, Diane had an op-ed that ran in the Duluth News Tribune.  Below is the text from the op-ed.

With lifestyles becoming increasingly mobile and fast-paced, businesses and consumers are turning to innovative wireless technologies to expand accessibility and connectivity and to increase efficiency. In Minnesota, more than 17 percent of households have abandoned landlines in favor of consolidating to wireless devices. Today, 99 percent of Americans are living in counties where wireless service is available. That means cutting-edge technology, and the exponential benefit that come with it, is within reach of nearly every American.

Coast to coast, mobile devices are not only changing how we manage our lives and businesses, but also where we run them. I know firsthand the impact mobile technology can have on entrepreneurial opportunities in rural America. I moved from a large city to rural Montana, where I co-founded a technology company that now employs 50 people and has significant funding from top-tier venture capital firms. We could not have succeeded without great talent, great determination and a great communications infrastructure.

Today, wireless communications allow us to grow and run businesses in urban, suburban, even rural America. Consumers in rural areas are embracing wireless for their communications needs. They recognize the convenience, mobility and efficiency wireless can provide. The fact is mobile technology has democratized opportunities across the nation. And commitments from carriers to expand and enhance coverage in rural areas will continue to build virtual bridges between rural entrepreneurs and consumers and their urban counterparts.

Only a few years ago, Americans in rural communities needed to commute, sometimes hundreds of miles, to reach their doctors or their jobs or even their banks. That's time and money. Advances in wireless technology are now giving everyone, regardless of where they work or live, choice. Instead of driving an hour to go to the bank, you can manage your account from your phone - anywhere. Through mobile "telehealth" communications, patients can connect to medical experts and even specialists - anywhere.

Wireless innovations are increasing efficiency while decreasing costs to consumers. From telecommuting to distance learning, it's no longer about where you have to be, it's where you want to be.

The countless new products, services and applications consumers enjoy today, however, did not appear by accident. Instead, wireless technologies flourished in an environment that allowed innovators and consumers to lead, take chances and develop services and products that are integral to today's lives. Along the way, wireless innovation spurred economic rejuvenation and growth, while creating high-tech jobs that pay well, have good benefits and provide opportunities for training and advancement.

Forward-looking policymakers support an environment that encourages both the investment and innovation necessary for the wireless sector to progress. These same policymakers recognize the significant contributions the wireless industry makes to local economies. In fact, the wireless industry has sparked one of the largest private investments in modern history. Since the early 1980s, the total infrastructure investment tops $250 billion.

Wireless innovations are effectively eliminating geographic barriers, allowing entrepreneurs to compete on a virtually level playing field. The potential is limitless. But in order to fully realize the vast benefits of wireless, we need to maintain an environment that continues to encourage investment and innovation in mobile technologies. These tools will be fundamental to building a 21st-century infrastructure that promotes job creation and fuels economic growth - in all corners of our country.

DIANE SMITH serves on the board of Mobile Future (mobile future.org) and was co-founder and chief executive officer of Auroras Entertainment, an advanced media services company in Kalispell, Mont. She will be a keynote speaker at the Duluth Chamber of Commerce's Northern Networks Conference, which is being held today and tomorrow.