City Governments Go Mobile

Posted: 01/05/10

Ever see a pothole or a tree that's fallen in the road and think, "Someone ought to fix that"?

Well, if you're in Washington, DC, you're in luck.  All you need to do is snap a photo with your PDA and using the city's DC 311 mobile app, pair it with a GPS location.  You then upload it into a local government database.  This also works for graffiti, broken parking meters and any other public nuisance.

Other cities from New York to San Francisco have also moved to harness the power of mobile consumers.  The practical result, as CNN reports is that:

[T]ech geeks transform banal local government spreadsheets about train schedules, complaint systems, potholes, street lamp repairs and city garbage into useful applications for mobile phones and the Web. The aim is to let citizens report problems to their governments more easily and accurately; and to put public information, which otherwise may be buried in file cabinets and Excel files, at the fingertips of taxpayers.

San Francisco and other cities are trying to develop a national standard for municipal government data. That way, a mobile app that tracks, say, bus service in San Francisco could also be used in any other city.  That could enable cities that cannot afford to develop their own mobile apps to benefit.

House Subcommittee Ready to Move Spectrum Bills

Posted: 12/16/09 by Chris Parandian

The House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet held a legislative hearing yesterday on H.R. 3125, the Radio Spectrum Inventory Act, and H.R. 3019, the Spectrum Relocation Improvement Act of 2009.  Both bills have bipartisan support and Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher stated his intention to move the bills through Congress as soon as possible.

The Radio Spectrum Inventory Act (H.R. 3125)  would require an inventory of the spectrum bands managed by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Federal Communications Commission.  The bill was introduced by Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman and currently has 17 Cosponsors.  The Spectrum Relocation Improvement Act (H.R. 3019) would amend the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act to improve the process of reallocation of spectrum from Federal Government use to commercial uses.  This bill was introduced by Congressman Jay Inslee and currently has 10 Cosponsors. 

The witnesses at the committee hearing included:

Michael Calabrese - Vice President and Director, Wireless Future Program, New America Foundation

Dale Hatfield - Adjunct Professor, Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program, University of Colorado at Boulder

Ray Johnson, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Lockheed Martin Corporation

Steve Largent, President and CEO, CTIA - The Wireless Association

Thomas Stroup, Chief Executive Officer, Shared Spectrum Company

You can find all of their testimony here.

Empire Follies

Posted: 12/15/09 by Mobile Future Team

Question: What do the following have in common: a state sales tax, a local sales tax, three transportation surcharges, a 911 fee, a utilities tax, an excise tax and a franchise tax?

Answer: They're all state and local fees paid by New York's mobile phone users.

Fortunately, U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner is among those willing to say, Enough is enough. Weiner tells the New York Daily News that Big Apple mobile users pay 10 state and city taxes and fees - more than any other city in the nation. Combined, he says, this adds about 16 percent to the mobile phone bill. Among U.S. cities, only Chicago adds on a higher amount, with a 19 percent total. 

We've written before about the problem of excessive fees levied on mobile phone service  and bipartisan efforts in Congress to rein these in. Thank you, Congressman Weiner, for standing up for wireless consumers.

Black Friday’s Mobile Milestone

Posted: 12/02/09 by Jonathan Spalter

Last Friday ushered in the holiday shopping season, and while consumers were clamoring for the best bargain, this year they had a new tool in their artillery - their cell phone.

With an array of smartphone choices from the Palm Pre to the iPhone, several new Blackberry models, and the Droid - never before have Americans had so many options at their disposal. That's not to mention the proliferation of retail m-commerce sites, and applications that can help you navigate stores, compare prices and even send coupons straight to your mobile phone. For customers, cell phones have become the ultimate aid in savvy shopping.

The Wall Street Journal reported that on Black Friday, "mobile online payments through PayPal surged 650%" and mobile searches grew to 200,000 from around 5,000 in 2008. This is good news for retailers, but more importantly it signals that 2009 is likely to be seen as a tipping point for the mobile web.

Today, nearly 40 percent of new phone sales are smartphones, a figure that will surely rise with the current holiday promotions. And a recent report projects that by 2011 a majority of phones in the U.S. will be connected smartphones that put PC-like functionalities in the palm of your hand.

What's driving this growth is a fundamental shift in how we use our wireless devices.
According to a recent survey of nearly 1,000 phone users:

"[S]martphone users are no longer just reading e-mail or scheduling appointments but also surfing the Web, streaming video and music, downloading games, and snapping pictures. Smartphones are now seen more by consumers as minicomputers than as cell phones."

This is a giant step forward for U.S. connectivity and greatly beneficial to American consumers, but it also raises key questions for federal policymakers.

With the surge in smartphone adoption and mobile web usage, wireless data traffic in North America is expected to double every year between 2008 and 2013. If this forecast holds true, it means that we are facing what FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski calls a 'looming spectrum crisis.' The FCC needs to take action by opening up new wireless spectrum. Thankfully, Chairman Genachowski recognizes this challenge and is taking steps to address it.

However, as we witnessed with the last auctions, the path to spectrum allocation can be a lengthy and bureaucratic process, and consumers also need more immediate solutions. Wireless network management helps ensure as seamless a consumer experience as possible, no matter how busy the wireless networks become. As we seek solutions to address exponentially increasing mobile usage, we should keep in mind the constructive policies and engineering practices that made this growth possible in the first place.

As evidenced this Black Friday, wireless innovation is working for America. When considering policy changes, the FCC must first do no harm. Government policies should support mobile's still-nascent potential and growth, but consumer choices and mobile innovation should guide wireless' bright future.

The Future…Your Phone in Two Years

Posted: 11/05/09 by Mobile Future Team

Ever wondered what the place where you are standing looked like 200 years ago? Ever wonder what a far away object looks like up-close?

In just a couple of years our smartphones may be able to answer these questions for us. Technologists are developing "augmented reality" applications that can take visual information from the web and infer what our surroundings looked like in the past or give us more detailed views of distant objects.

Experts say smartphones of the near future may physically resemble the smartphones of today, but their capabilities will better resemble our computers. Designers and technologists predict that many phones will have foldable screens similar to e-readers of today. Researchers are even experimenting with virtual keyboards, which will allow users to type over an imaginary keyboard while sensors pick up the keystrokes.

A recent article in the New York Times details the exciting developments in smartphone technology. 

Today's smartphones can do almost anything a PC could do in 2007, but in a couple of years smartphones may have enough computing power to enable much more sophisticated applications that truly take advantage of the device's portability.

This is good news for smartphone users. If you love your phone, but prefer your laptop keyboard and all its capabilities, it may not be too long before you've got the best of both worlds in one portable device.

Text Messages Making the Grade for Schools

Posted: 10/27/09 by Mobile Future Team

The days of cutting class and burying bad tests at the bottom of the backpack may be over for many students in the Houston area. An article in the Houston Chronicle reports that schools are using technology to better inform parents about their children's education:

The majority of area school districts - Houston and Klein joined the ranks last month - now allow parents real-time online access to their children's grades, assignments and attendance reports. Parents can set up triggers that send e-mails or texts at the first sign of trouble.

For many parents these updates have become an invaluable tool: allowing them to stay updated on their children's education, while opening new lines of communication between parents, students and teachers. Parents are not only able to stay informed of how their children are doing, but also what they are learning - making those dinnertime "what did you learn in school today" conversations a little more productive.

Schools in Texas aren't the only ones to take advantage of wireless technology. Earlier this month a principal in Algonquin, Ill. gave his cell phone number to all 2,500 students at Jacobs High School during the morning announcements.

In his announcement, the principal asked all students and staff to text-message him anytime day or night with safety-related concerns or to report a school disruption. Some of those things could include knowledge of students with drugs, alcohol or weapons; gang-related activity; or a planned student fight on school property.

In a school where 90 percent of students send text messages, Principal Michael Bregy says the idea has helped foster a safe learning environment and let him connect with students in a way that they feel comfortable with.

Many schools and universities throughout the nation also use text messages as a way of informing students and parents of emergencies and cancellations. Texts have been used to inform parents of cancellations because of inclement weather and to give students real-time instructions in potential emergency situations.

Such messages are not only a convenience and a better way of staying informed, but also an example of how mobile technology has become a vital means of keeping students safe and improving education.

It's great to see so many schools using wireless technology to benefit students. We're excited to see what kind of innovative ideas educators will come up with next.

Wireless Catch-22

Posted: 10/21/09 by Molly Kocour

Mobile Future Chairman Jonathan Spalter just published a Huffington post entry that discusses the wireless catch 22 of extending proposed net neutrality rules to the wireless industry at a time when we are facing a looming spectrum crisis. 

With mobile data traffic growing at 100 times the rate of wireless voice traffic, a serious supply-demand imbalance is headed our way - one that can only be relieved by government leadership to make more spectrum available to keep pace with consumer demand. The technological and policy quandary? How to address this profound and pressing national need, while at the same time asserting that we have to potentially make the crisis worse by fixing these fast-evolving networks with what are widely viewed as unworkable engineering mandates.

What's the solution - long-term strategies and data-driven decision-making.  Read more about Jonathan's suggestions in the article here.

I Want My Mobile TV

Posted: 10/21/09 by Allison Remsen

Remember Blu-Ray vs. HD DVD?  How about Beta vs. VHS? 

For anyone who gets frustrated when industries can't agree on consumer product standards, this is good news: Mobile users who want to stream TV won't have to deal with annoying format disputes. 

"Manufacturers and broadcasters had already been moving forward with the preliminary technical standard for Mobile Digital Television, but now the standard has been finalized by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC). 

"Friday's formal announcement of the standard adoption by ATSC means that everyone can move forward knowing that the technical specs are set in stone." 

Look at how fast this is progressing. In January, not a single local TV station beamed mobile phone-ready video. By mid-summer, mobile users in Raleigh, NC and Washington, DC became the first to enjoy  mobile TV and by year's end, consumers in nearly 30 of the nation's top markets will have this option. 

Link: http://www.mobilefuture.org/cms/www.rbr.com/tv-cable/17829.html

Dear Phone—Find Me a Place to Eat!

Posted: 10/16/09 by Mobile Future Team

"Augmented reality" apps that meld the virtual and actual world are popping up for everything from dining choices to sightseeing narratives. These applications marry a phone's GPS and compass features with access to high-speed wireless networks to provide users with local Web content.

The first phones with Google's Android operating system, which enables augmented reality, have come out in the past year. The iPhone debuted a compass app in June, and Apple recently joined Google in making it possible for software developers to overlay images on the phone's camera view. And other companies are following suit.

Amsterdam-based Layar recently released an augmented reality browser for Android phones. Layar lets you search for things on Google, but delivers the results based on your location as determined by the GPS readout. Users also can sign up to have certain types of information automatically appear on phone screens. The company is working on a 3-D function that it hopes to release in November.

Another "augmented reality" leader is Yelp, a Web site with business reviews written by customers.  After the iPhone got a compass, Yelp created Monocle, an app allowing information to overlay onto a real-time view of the world. Built by a Yelp intern, Monocle combines the iPhone's camera view with tiny tags indicating the names, distances and user ratings of proximate businesses.

And then there is Robotvision, a 99-cent program built by Portland, Ore.-based developer Tim Sears. Hold your phone parallel to the ground and Robotvision displays a map of your surroundings. Hold the phone up, and Robotvision hits augmented-reality, highlighting places like coffee shops and bars.

Sure, there are some issues hindering augmented reality apps.  There are technological limitations - cell phones need to be more powerful, cameras and graphics improved, and GPS more precise. But, as cell phones get even smarter and GPS and wireless networks improve, consumers may be spending more time in a virtually enhanced world.

Wireless ‘Net Neutrality’ and the Law of Unintended Consequences

Posted: 09/21/09 by Jonathan Spalter

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski made news today announcing his intent to open a regulatory inquiry into the merits of imposing so-called 'net neutrality' rules on the wireless sector. The move adds another high-stakes conversation on top of a broad inquiry into the future of wireless and the methodical, inclusive march toward a national broadband plan.

At first glance, the announcement appears to be a populist slam-dunk. The term 'net neutrality' has no agreed-upon definition in policy circles. But in popular culture, it has become synonymous with free speech. And, whether you watch Fox News or read Huffington Post, that's one issue virtually all Americans can agree on.

Momentum is clearly building for greater regulation of wireless and broadband. But as we wade deeper into these issues and contemplate changing the environment that has led to such rapid and profound innovation today, it is worth thinking through the possible implications to consumers, innovators and our economy.

As we do so, here are three areas that should be foremost in policymakers' minds:

Consumer experience. The notion that all applications and websites are created equal has an appealing, egalitarian ring to it. It's proven a reasonably workable concept for wired broadband networks. But it poses the risk of potentially calamitous disruption to the wireless consumer experience.

Wireless and wired broadband networks are very different both technically and operationally. In fact, a primary reason mobile has exploded over the past decade is precisely because these networks are prudently managed. When's the last time, for example, your mobile device was overcome by viruses? Yes, many want mobile devices with endlessly customizable options - and the marketplace certainly delivers a wide array of choices - but most consumers also take the technology for granted and want to connect to people and information without a second thought.

In a world where streaming video is becoming more common, an 'all bits are created equal' decree could run a fairly extreme risk of degrading the wireless experience of many to accommodate the mobile content habits of a few. Available spectrum is finite. Capacity must continually be managed in a dynamic way. Do we really want the FCC to be not only the regulators of wireless networks, but also its engineers and network managers?

The Commission likely will carve out a few obvious exceptions. One would hope, for example, that we can agree that real-time health monitoring should take precedence over a neighbor's kid downloading the latest Hannah Montana movie. But the most exciting innovations often come from unexpected - and thus unanticipated - places. Who knew that the number of mobile applications downloaded on just one brand - iPhone - would exceed one billion in its very first year? Regulations can confine mobile's vast potential in ways we cannot easily predict today and will likely underestimate to our detriment.

Investment. We all know what happens when too many cars pile onto the freeway. One obvious solution is to build more lanes. This takes billions of dollars in investment. The most compelling argument I've heard on this front, came from a small Internet provider in Wyoming. 'I'm all for free speech,' he said, 'but I'm not for free beer.' His point: Given that we all are free to express ourselves on-line and off, any new regulations must carefully balance the broad public interest in keeping robust investment flowing into these networks. Free beer and free speech are both wildly populist notions. But only one makes for constructive, sustainable policy.

Of course, the stakes go well beyond the ISPs to consumers and the broader mobile innovation community. Both depend on robust, well-managed networks to deliver a quality experience that fuels demand for not only more bandwidth, but exciting new uses for it.

Innovation. One negative outcome would be regulations that are far from neutral. Let's be honest: vested interests exist on both sides of the net neutrality fence. The FCC needs to find a balanced path forward - one that ends the divisive debate about whether the government should allow innovation at the edge or in the networks. Clearly, we need both to keep pace with consumers and make the most of mobile innovation.

We are in a technology environment where the demands placed on wireless networks are increasing exponentially. This is a good thing for mobile innovation because it means we are delivering new and diverse consumer benefits on a much broader scale. To keep the innovation flowing, we need policies that clearly comprehend that network management is central to this ongoing progress.

Agree or disagree on this one divisive policy issue, I believe that all wireless stakeholders share a genuine commitment to encouraging innovation, investment, as well as diversity of content, services and applications. As we take a closer look at how we achieve these goals, we should resist a rush to judgment. Through 20-plus years of Democratic and Republican Administrations, entrepreneurs, innovators and consumers have driven mobile innovation and growth.

Increased and imprudent government intervention could cut short an extraordinary run that has delivered real consumer, social and economic benefits, and has the promise of doing even more in the days and months ahead. The risk of unintended consequences could derail so many positive advances and opportunities underway. Are we taking a constructive step forward or walking the plank on mobile innovation? Only time - and the quality, balanced nature of the coming deliberations - will tell.