Consumer confidence remains low in today’s tough economy, but the Pew Internet and American Life Project’s new Mobile Access in 2010 report illustrates a contrarian streak among U.S. consumers when it comes to the mobile marketplace. Across ages and demographics, Americans are showing a remarkable bullishness when it comes to the value and innovation they see in their wireless purchases. In fact, usage of connected devices and applications continues to grow at an unabated and staggering pace.
Over the past year, the number of Americans connecting wirelessly to the Internet is up 8 percentage points, with six out of 10 Americans now using their smartphone or laptop to access the Internet. In fact, more Americans now use their mobile device to connect to the Internet (38%) than play a game on their device (34%). And, it’s not just young millennials gravitating to the nexus of wireless and the Internet. Their parents—folks in the 30 to 49 year old age bracket—are now leading the growth.
African Americans and Latinos also continue to lead in mobile connectivity. Two-thirds of both communities are wireless Internet users. And, African Americans and Latinos continue to outpace whites when it comes to cell phone ownership (87% versus 80%).
These insights illuminate the wireless debate at a pivotal moment, coming on the heels of President Obama’s Executive Order announcing his Administration’s intention to increase the amount of spectrum available to meet consumers’ fast-growing mobile needs. Pew’s methodical documentation of a steep adoption and usage growth trajectory—cutting broadly across the U.S. population—powerfully illustrates the profound importance of these spectrum allocation efforts and the equally essential need to safeguard policies that encourage the billions of dollars in investment needed to get this spectrum into use across the country. This process can take six to 10 years to complete, from the announcement of auctions to the deployment of actual networks, so we need to get started now.
Unfortunately as temperatures rise in Washington (both literally and metaphorically), it seems no debate is safe from the partisan pull of election-year politics. Even U.S. wireless policy, which has enjoyed bipartisan support for a light-tough regulatory framework through both Republican and Democratic administrations, is getting dragged into the pro-regulation and heated rhetorical fray.
It’s hard to justify given the frenetic pace of competition across the mobile landscape. Verizon and Google recently have gone public with their ambitions to challenge the AT&T/Apple iPad alliance. HP, Dell and others also are in hot pursuit. Cox is becoming the first U.S. cable company to directly offer wireless services. Regional players like Leap Wireless and MetroPCS are thriving. And, the Palm Pre was recently offered to consumers for the jaw-dropping price of a single cent. Consumer choices of service providers, plans, devices and applications abound.
All of this, of course, only further fuels the leaps and bounds we’re now seeing in mobile Internet adoption and usage. The arrival of dispassionate, data-driven reports like this Pew contribution are essential to constructive policy conversation that benefit consumers and innovators alike.
The data also clearly illustrates just how deeply mobile connectivity is working its way into our lives, and just how enthusiastically consumers are responding to the profound innovation it is making possible.
As the Federal Communications Commission takes a closer look at wireless, it’s important that it consider how consumers are actually embracing mobile connectivity in their diverse lives. And, it is imperative that the FCC acknowledge that all of this progress we celebrate now has taken place in—and been made possible in no small part by—the current light-touch regulatory framework.
The proof is in the numbers. As the mercury rises in the nation’s capital, it’s important that cooler heads prevail when it comes to the flexibility and dynamism that have truly connected the nation to the opportunities and innovation made possible by the mobile Internet.
Today, President Obama signed a presidential memorandum that aims to make available for auction some 500 megahertz of spectrum that is now controlled by the federal government and private companies.
Responding to this measure, Mobile Future Chairman Jonathan Spalter issued the following statement:
“We appreciate President Obama’s leadership and foresight in paving the way to efficiently and responsibly make more spectrum available to keep pace with wireless innovation and consumer demand. Today’s presidential memorandum sets the course for the next wave of mobile opportunities that will lead to economic growth and continued job creation. This announcement is a step in the right direction and it’s critical that the Obama Administration remains focused on spurring growth rather than imposing restrictive regulations that could paralyze the economic recovery, job growth and investment we see in today’s thriving wireless sector.”
Over the weekend, the White House launched a version of its website that's optimized for mobile users. It doesn't have the smooth graphics interface of the usual WhiteHouse.gov but the content is just as easily accessed, including the blog, announcements and photos.
During the campaign, President Obama understood better than any candidate the value of mobile technology in reaching and motivating voters. His mobile outreach set a remarkable standard for cost-effective outreach. Judging by this new website, it looks like he and his staff are keeping that lesson close to heart.
Just in time for Easter and Passover, President Obama has offered a little insight into the power of prayer, courtesy of his mobile phone. Apparently the President, like many of us, wishes he could go to worship more often. But when his schedule doesn’t allow it, he takes inspiration from the daily prayers emailed to him from pastors around America.
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.
Last week, the White House unveiled a great step forward in the fight to reduce birth defects. It's a public-private effort called the Text4baby campaign and according to the Associated Press, it is the U.S.'s first free, pre-natal education program to use mobile phone text messages.
Expecting parents should text "BABY" (or "BEBE", for Spanish texts) to 511411. They'll receive weekly texts geared to the baby's birth date that cover nutrition, immunization and birth defect prevention. The texts, which have been vetted by government and nonprofit health experts, continue through the baby's first birthday.
An added benefit: Several major wireless carriers have waived text fees for the service.
Last week tons of Americans came to town to celebrate the inauguration of our 44th President, Barack Obama. In addition to celebrating, they shared their day with friends, family, and the world. The day was history in the making - not only swearing in our nation's first African American President but creating a truly user-generated inauguration.
Jonathan mentioned in a previous post, the many ways citizens participated at "wireless woodstock." One famous couple that utilized their mobile to document the festivities was Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore. Here's one of their mobile videos that they live streamed...
Noted in the media as an addict for his personal device, President Obama has arguably done more for Blackberry than any marketing prodigy could be capable of doing, promoting the device as an absolute necessity and telling CNBC in an interview that "security officials would have to ‘pry it out of my hands.'"
According to CNN reports, "like previous Oval Office incumbents, Obama had been expected to take a vow of technological celibacy following his inaugural oath on Tuesday". Will President Obama's rally for change transcend into his personal technology arena?
OF COURSE! Contrary to White House and Secret Service concerns, the president will be allowed his technological fix while in office. CNN says, "According to reports Thursday, Obama could now be in line to receive a spy-proof alternative to his favorite toy".
Teamed with the National Security Agency, General Dynamics has produced the ‘Barack Berry', a spy proof, tap proof, hack proof version of the President's favorite handheld.
But before you attempt to add President Obama to our PIN contacts, the Secret Service won't let President Obama use the instant messaging feature on the device. Shucks...
According to The New York Times, there's a lot of good news about mobile technology improving government:
"In Singapore, text messages are used to pay parking tickets; in the Philippines, they are used to pay income taxes; and in part of India, people can receive a text message saying how much property tax they owe. Exam results are sent by text message in Kenya, while in Lewisham, southeast of London, people can e-mail photos taken by cellphone of graffiti or litter to local officials.
Unfortunately, not everyone is enjoying the benefits:
"The United States has generally lagged behind in the innovative use of cellphones...."
Our coalition has been speaking out on the need for federal agencies to become more mobile-friendly as they try to become more transparent. A new year's resolution for the Obama-Biden team perhaps?
So here's a suggestion to the administration's incoming CTOs and CIOs that can address both worthy goals simultaneously: Start implementing the kinds of technology-based constituent outreach and services at home that other nations have successfully used for years.
Start with wireless. Several governments and political parties around the world have successfully adopted mobile technologies to deliver important services and improve constituent communication. Their success should serve as models for the Obama-Biden administration. Here's a sampling:
In South Africa, the Democratic Government leader launched an SMS-based service to keep in contact with voters, allowing them to vote on issues and ask questions in real time to government leaders.
Using two-way SMS communication, the New Zealand Labour Party encourages constituents to question Members of Parliament wirelessly. Answers are sent via SMS and posted online.
The government of Singapore offers numerous mobile features through its "e-citizen" campaign including SMS alerts about passport renewal, tax renewal, election information, and real time crime alerts.
Earlier this week, the Associated Press reported about using mobile phones to keep Americans informed about the spread of the flu, both through a WAP-based mobile site, and through opt-in SMS alerts offering information from the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
Of course SMS technology does have its limitations. It can't be relied upon to deliver time-sensitive alerts to a large number of phones simultaneously, and the traffic volumes created by widespread adoption of SMS messaging mean that new texting technologies will be needed before new messaging applications can be deployed. The Federal Communications Commission has been working with the public safety community and the wireless industry to develop a new system, using a new technology, for reliably sending emergency alerts from federal, state, and local government to wireless devices.
With so many opportunities to embrace wireless technologies, the Obama-Biden administration should look to these and other successful programs around the world as models for similar programs in the U.S.
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