Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Reserve price seen as too high in D Block reauction proposals

The new proposals for auctioning D Block in the US seem to be as highly politicised as the proposals for rescuing Wall Street, which were being discussed by lawmakers at the same time.

Two important meetings took place in Washington DC on Friday September 25, one of them concerning a controversial $700 billion bail out plan for the financial industry, the other a controversial spectrum auction with a proposed $750 million reserve price.

Read the full details at:
http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=812

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Parliament waters down Commission’s radicalism

MEPs have voted through their amendments to the Commission's Framework Review package. Viviane Reding wishes the spectrum reform had gone further but welcomes the Parliament's commitment to flexibility and harmonisation.

After 10 months of discussion the MEPs revisions essentially amount to a dilution of the more radical aspects of the Commission's proposals while recognising that further liberalisation of existing spectrum management practices will bring benefits.

Read the full details at:
http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=811

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Whitespace investigation stalls amid recriminations

The whitespace debate in the US is becoming increasingly acrimonious with the implications of the latest tests hotly disputed and the technology companies accusing broadcasters of running a misleading advertising campaign.

The FCC's attempt to investigate the possible use of TV whitespace to provide wireless broadband services is making little progress in the face of determined opposition from broadcasters.

Read the full details at: https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/whitespace-investigation-stalls-amid-recriminations

Monday, September 22, 2008

Consultation: Spectrum Policy Consultation

The Irish Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources is inviting comments on a document designed to stimulate debate about spectrum management. The aim is to develop a national spectrum policy that will be sufficiently flexible to accommodate technological developments, as well as supporting and promoting innovation, research and development. The document argues that policy should be based around eight principles:
1. Spectrum management should be dynamic and responsive to the needs of stakeholders.
2. Access to spectrum should be easy.
3. There should be clear rules on the rights and obligations of users.
4. Innovation and research in wireless technologies should be promoted.
5. Technology and service neutrality should be promoted, where appropriate.
6. Spectrum should be used efficiently
7. The State should receive a fair return for access to or use of spectrum.
8. Monitoring and enforcement should be regularly reviewed.

Read the full details at:
http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=809

Consultation: GSM on aircraft

The French regulator, ARCEP, is inviting comments on how it should best transpose into its national context the recent European conditions on the harmonisation of GSM services on aircraft. The relevant rulings are the recommendation (2008/295/CE) and the decision (2008/294/CE) both by the European Commission.

Read the full details at:
http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=808

Funding of telecoms regulator set to dominate MEP's vote

The European Parliament's vote on the telecoms framework review has been put back from Tuesday to Wednesday this week. A compromise on spectrum management flexibility is a key part of the proposals.

The European Parliament 24 September is due to vote, in first reading, on the vast review of telecommunications regulation put forward by the European Commission in November 2007, with attention focusing in particular on the funding of the future Body of European Regulators in Telecoms (BERT). If the Parliament holds to the position it has decided on so far, the funding will be mixed.

Read the full details at:
http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=807

Friday, September 19, 2008

Irish regulator publishes spectrum strategy

ComReg favourably disposed towards spectrum trading; industry seeks clarification on digital dividend

Ireland's Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) has published its spectrum strategy for 2008 to 2010. ComReg published a draft version of the document for consultation in March this year and received 24 responses, most of which were "generally positive and constructive", the regulator says.

Read the full details at: https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/irish-regulator-publishes-spectrum-strategy

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Free wireless broadband for US caught up in political and legal storm

Should the company hoping to provide free wireless broadband have to pay for the spectrum? Will the offering interfere with existing mobile services? Just some of the questions holding up the release of AWS-3 spectrum in the US

Following the success and/or failure – depending on which of a number of conflicting viewpoints you subscribe to -- of the 700MHz auction earlier this year, the show continues with controversy, a court case, and more polarised opinions around the upcoming (perhaps) auction of the so-called AWS-3 band (AWS stands for Advanced Wireless Services).

Read the full details at:
http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=805

Monday, September 15, 2008

FCC chairman issues new D Block proposals

Kevin Martin, the chairman of US regulator the FCC, has come up with a complex new proposal for auctioning off the 700 MHz D Block which fell a long way short of its $1.3 billion reserve price in the auction this spring.

The proposal is scheduled to be debated at a full commission meeting on September 25, when we will publish more details.

Read the full details at: https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/fcc-chairman-issues-new-d-block-proposals

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Does spectrum policy ignore environmental issues?

There seems little evidence of spectrum regulators addressing the issue of saving energy, a dimension which could be particularly important in allocating the digital dividend.

Climate change "has become a critical issue" since the 2000 UK 3G auctions and should be part of the regulatory analysis of upcoming spectrum auctions, Nokia's James Page argues in an article, <a href=http://www.landmobile.co.uk/articles/2008/0608-jamespage.pdf>The Carbon Element</a>, published in a personal capacity in Land Mobile magazine. But the UK Office of Communications (Ofcom) has not yet assessed the carbon impact of different uses for digital dividend spectrum, and it is unclear whether it even has the authority to define the public interest in environmental matters, he said.

Read the full details at:
http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=803

Monday, September 08, 2008

Member states set to reduce MEPs' ambitions

As well as opposing Parliament's proposals for a body of European regulators the European Council is also against MEPs' plans to expand the role of the spectrum policy advisory body.

European Union lawmakers, the EU Council and the European Commission had a last chance to publicly debate the EU telecommunications review, at a debate in the European Parliament on September 2. Further negotiations will be held in camera. The French Presidency of the EU wants to finalise a political agreement on the whole package on 27 November.

Read the full details at: https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/member-states-set-to-reduce-meps-ambitions

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

More detail needed on frequency release, Ofcom tells Ministry of Defence

Industry says defence chiefs' liberalisation plans must also take account of research which proves the viability of spectrum sharing.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) unveiled its spectrum liberalisation proposal in May, launching a comment period that runs until by 5 September.

Read the full details at: https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/more-detail-needed-on-frequency-release-ofcom-tells-ministry-of-defence