bi-weekly market tracker

BI-WEEKLY MARKET TRACKER
JUNE 25– JULY 8, 2012
Main Story:
WiFi in South Africa
Opportunities>>
OTHER TOP STORIES
Licensed
Unlicensed
Top Telecom Operators Sign Cisco
for IP Transformation
Metronet Croatia Selects Radwin
Systems
Ukraine: Freshtel Widens WiMAX
Footprint
NSN Signs Deal with Indian Railways
Spectrum and Regulation
DAS & Wi-Fi
Namibia and Botswana Launch Fast
Broadband Cable
Operators will Test Wi-Fi Roaming
and Simplified Login in Q4
IBM Supports Accelerated Adoption
of Technology in Tanzania
Sweden’s AnyFi Turns any Wi-Fi
Network into a Small Cell
FEATURE STORY – A BUZZ AROUND WI-FI IN SOUTH
AFRICA
Full Article>>
Lately there has been a buzz around WiFi penetration in South Africa, as Cisco has been
urging South African service providers to incorporate Wi-Fi as a means of driving business
opportunities and dealing with an explosion of mobile data. It probably means Cisco
wishes to gain control over the developing WiFi market in South Africa.
Cisco has recently conducted its 2012 Mobile User Survey, a research carried out by
Cisco's Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG). Cisco concluded that increased global
demand for mobile devices and network connectivity will see WiFi and traditional mobile
networks play a critical role in meeting consumers' needs.
In the Survey, Cisco has also predicted local growth in demand and usage of WiFi in South
Africa, as part of the general global trend: as mobile users look at ways to save money,
they will increasingly demand WiFi subscription options from their service providers.
Cisco urges South African telecom operators to incorporate WiFi into their service
offerings as the technology is set to become the main source of Internet access within
the next two years.
WIFI PENETRATION STATUS IN SOUTH AFRICA
SA has a mobile penetration rate of 105%, with 27% of rural users accessing the Internet on
their mobile phones.
So far, South Africa hasn’t seen vast adoption of WiFi services. hotspot visitors still usually
have to pay for access, and while some hotspots offer free access, the service is still often
erratic, because they have to find ways to manage the high bandwidth cost.
MUNICIPALITIES
Small towns in SA are setting the trend for free WiFi, while large
metropolitan cities appear to be lagging behind. Stellenbosch has
begun piloting a free WiFi network to everyone in the town. While
large downloads are prohibited, all other services are supported.
Knysna has a network that uses WiFi at over 200 hotspots in most
business districts and various suburbs. To date, the network has been operational for 18
months. There are currently no limits on the access times, but a daily time limit of 45
minutes per user, per day is to be introduced. In selected locations access is free.
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HOTELS
A number of local hotel groups have been offering their guests free
WiFi since May, but usage is capped at 100MB.
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
South African banking institutions offer free WiFi access for
customers at certain branches.
AIRPLANES
The first WiFi-enabled flight in SA took place on 8 May, through a
partnership between WirelessG, Mango and Vodacom.
SERVICE PROVIDERS
 Vodacom's WiFi service is accessible at 650 WiFi hotspots
locally. Vodacom contract, top-up and prepaid customers
who have WiFi-enabled laptops, cellphones and personal
digital assistants, but do not have 3G/HSDPA devices (or
are in poor 3G/HSDPA coverage areas), can access broadband services using the
network's WiFi.
 Local WiFi service provider RedButton has devised a
model that enables coffee shops and other WiFi hotspots
to offer free wireless access. RedButton has 162 hotspot
sites, with almost 25% of these offering free Internet access.
STRATEGIES FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS
Cisco outlined several considerations, implications and potential strategies for service
providers to capture Wi-Fi Opportunities in South Africa:
 Offering free public Wi-Fi access with a home broadband subscription will become
an important factor in how service providers in South Africa can capture Wi-Fi
business opportunities to retain existing customers and attract new ones.
 South African service providers will need to incorporate Wi-Fi as an integral part
of their portfolio utilising pricing, marketing, and new technological solutions to
create offers and solutions of value to mobile users.
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 Targeting Wi-Fi use in the home by creating solutions and incentives, service
providers in South Africa can encourage users to offload mobile traffic at home,
while retaining the ability to provide a unique and differentiated customer
experience.
 Deliver on the New Mobile. Align network architectures and deploy appropriate
technologies to deliver a seamless, integrated mobile Wi-Fi user experience. As
demand for mobile devices and network connectivity continues to grow in South
Africa, both Wi-Fi and traditional mobile networks will be critical to meeting the
needs of mobility-enabled consumers.
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COMPETITION
Items Statistics
TOP 4 TELECOM OPERATORS IN APAC SIGN CISCO FOR IP TRANSFORMATION
Full Article>>
Four telecom operators in the Asia Pacific region have signed up with Cisco for IP
transformation.
Cisco has a strong presence in Indian telecom market. It works with Bharti Airtel, Tata
Teleservices, etc.
Though Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks, Alcatel-Lucent, ZTE and Huawei are end-toend telecom infrastructure players, Cisco is not keen to become an end-to-end player by
offering radio and tower solutions which are currently missing in Cisco portfolio.
Focus on IP is expected to strengthen Cisco's service provider business as major
companies are focusing on LTE 4G.
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WESTIN DIPLOMAT AND SHERATON VISTANA RESORT
SMART WI-FI SYSTEMS
HAVE
DEPLOYED RUCKUS
Full Article>>
Ruckus Wireless announced that Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc., have
certified the Ruckus ZoneFlex™ Smart Wi-Fi system as one of their recommended
solutions for delivering wireless access. In addition, the Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa
in Hollywood, FL, and the Sheraton Vistana Resort in Orlando, FL, are the latest of the
Starwood properties to select and deploy Ruckus Wi-Fi.
NAWRAS PICKS HUAWEI FOR 3G+, 4G AND WIMAX EXPANSION
Full Article>>
Oman operator Nawras signed an agreement with Huawei to upgrade its radio access
network to enhanced 3G+ and increase coverage. The contract also marks the roll-out of
LTE on the Nawras network
Around 30 percent of sites will be upgraded before the end of 2012. The LTE network will
cover all major areas of Muscat Governate including Ruwi, Central Business District, Wadi
Kabir, Muttrah, Qurm, Azaiba, Al Khuwair, Ghala, Baushar, Mawaleh and The Wave, by the
end of the year. All major cities will enjoy LTE coverage by June 2013.
In addition to the launch of LTE, 3G+ population coverage will rise from 53 percent to 97
percent over the next three years, including greater coverage in remote areas across
Oman. The Wimax home broadband network also will be extended further.
UBIQUITI NETWORKS INTRODUCES
COMMUNICATIONS PLATFORM
MFI:
A
MACHINE-TO-MACHINE
Full Article>>
Ubiquiti Networks had announced mFi, a machine-to-machine communications
technology platform.
"Machine Fidelity" (mFi) is a platform consisting of a family of hardware devices that
combine environment reporting and remote machine control and configuration across a
unified IP network with an intuitive, powerful and customizable software experience.
"We believe mFi will significantly accelerate the realization of the popular smart building
concept, which traditionally has been too expensive and complex to deploy and too
confusing to operate. […]" said Robert J. Pera, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of
Ubiquiti Networks.
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ZTE BEATS HUAWEI TO BAG CHINA TELECOM CONTRACT
Full Article>>
China's ZTE Corporation has bagged a key contract for supplying broadband equipment
to the state-run China Telecom Corporation.
The development puts ZTE in a stronger position to compete with Huawei Technologies.
Under the contract, ZTE will deliver M6000 high-end router to China Telecom for use in
the infrastructure project. The order will involve several technologies, including
broadband remote access servers, service routers, multi-service edge, aggregation
switches, and high-end routing switches.
ALCATEL-LUCENT SIGNS 4G LTE DEAL WITH C SPIRE WIRELESS
Full Article>>
Alcatel-Lucent has inked a 4G LTE deal with regional U.S. wireless provider C Spire
Wireless, which will tap ALU to build and deploy the $60 million initial phase of the highspeed mobile broadband network.
The network will cover 20 Mississippi markets beginning in September, accounting for
2,700 square miles, a population of 1.2 million and more than 360 cell sites. The new
service will make C Spire the first provider to make 4G widely available in the state.
C Spire is using ALU's end-to-end 4G LTE infrastructure, including base stations, IP mobile
backhaul for 4G LTE and existing 3G CDMA traffic, Wireless Packet Core (WPC) and a
complete IMS network core, which will allow C Spire to develop and offer a portfolio of
IP-based services, such as Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE),
NOKIA SIEMENS SIGNS A DEAL WITH INDIAN RAILWAYS
Full Article>>
Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) has bagged Rs 200 Cr worth of contracts from Indian
railways.
It is reportedly said that Nokia-Siemens Network has to supply network equipment that
will enable mobile communication between trains and railway regulation control centers.
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LICENSED WIRELESS BROADBAND
Items Statistics
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WESTERN AUSTRALIA BOOSTS MOBILE BROADBAND SERVICES
Full Article>>
The State Government of Western Australia (WA) is tackling the “tyranny of distance”
with mobile broadband services that connect communities across regional and remote
areas.
An ambitious US$106 million (AUD$106 million) Regional Mobile Communications Project
(RMCP) is delivering the benefits of mobile broadband to “outback” Australia.
The RMCP initiative, being rolled out over three years, brings together Western
Australia’s Department of Commerce, the Department of Regional Development and
Lands and telco carrier, Telstra. These partners will find the mobile broadband network
which will be based on 4th generation (4G) communications infrastructure.
Among its benefits, mobile broadband helps connects major mining areas across the
Kimberley and Pilbara.
The RMCP will provide near-continuous mobile telephone and broadband access along
isolated highways and areas in Western Australia.
INDONESIA FORESEES WIDESPREAD ADOPTION OF 4G IN 2014 AT THE EARLIEST
Full Article>>
The government estimates that the widespread adoption of 4G technology in Indonesia
could only take place by 2014 at the earliest, an official said.
He said one of the issues was the matter of frequencies and the government needed to
first study the application of the 4G system in other countries, especially which band
would be more appropriate for Indonesia.
The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in 2010 said the 2.3 Ghz
broadband wireless frequency would be set as the infrastructure of 4G technology in the
country.
Heru Sutadi, a former member of the Indonesian Telecommunication Regulatory Body,
said the best option was to refarm the 1,800 Mhz frequency or use the 2.5 Ghz one for 4G.
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SPRINT’S LTE NETWORK WILL BEGIN COMMERCIAL OPERATORS ON JULY 15
Full Artilce>>
Sprint CEO Dan Hesse said this week that their LTE network will begin commercial
operators on July 15 in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio.
Sprint is building an all-new, nationwide 3G and 4G LTE network through the Network
Vision program, which consolidates 3G and 4G radios into single basestations and shared
antennas.
By the end of 2013, Sprint expects to have largely completed the build out of its all-new
4G LTE nationwide network. It uses the 1.9 GHz PCS band with 5 Mhz x 2.
Sprint has already launched five 4G LTE-capable devices.
UKRAINE: FRESHTEL
KHERSON
WIDENS
WIMAX
FOOTPRINT AROUND
DONETSK
AND
Full Article>>
Ukrainian WiMAX broadband wireless network operator Ukrainian High Technologies
(FreshTel) has enlarged its coverage in the Kherson oblast region, extending its mobile
WiMAX internet services to Bilozerka, Komyshany and Chernobaevka, while it also
revealed short-term plans to expand its network to Yasynuvata (Donetsk oblast).
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE STARTS LTE TRIAL IN CUMBRIA, UK
Full Article>>
Everything Everywhere has started customer LTE trial in Cumbria in the North of England.
Employees of various local businesses in the Threlkeld area are testing 4G LTE using both
dongles and routers.
The triallists include a regional office of United Utilities, the Blencathra Centre field
studies educational facility situated on the side of Blencathra Mountain, the King Kong
Climbing Wall, a manufacturing company and multiple web developers.
The trial service is running on existing 1800 MHz airwaves used by the Orange and TMobile mobile networks and will provide Everything Everywhere with additional learnings
on the performance of 4G LTE over 1800 MHz in rural areas.
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UNLICENSED WIRELESS BROADBAND
Items Statistics
Items Statistics
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INDIA: ZYLOG SYSTEMS EXPECTS WIFI REVENUE TO DOUBLE THIS FISCAL
Full Article>>
Zylog Systems Ltd is expecting a revenue growth in its Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) business
from Rs 30 crore, last year, to Rs 65 crore this year along with doubling its retail customer
base for the business. The company is planning to invest around Rs 80 crore this financial
year, in the WiFi business, said senior executives from the company.
“We have a retail subscriber base of 52,000 customers for the WiFi business now. Our
plan is to increase it to 100,000 customers by March 31, 2012,” said S P Srihari, global chief
financial officer, Zylog Sytems Ltd.
The company is present in seven states including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh,
Punjab, Gujarat, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.
The company also expects double the revenue for its e-governance business in India.
Going forward, the target is to grow the WiFi business to Rs 500 crore in next five years
and the e-governance to around Rs 300 crore in next two to three years, they said.
CLEARWIRE LAUNCHES WIMAX SERVICE
Full Article>>
Clearwire is planning to launch its WiMAX service in Los Angeles, Miami, St. Louis,
Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Salt Lake City later this year.
Apple iPad users using Clear Spot wireless router are also allowed by the company to
connect to the Clearwire 4G network while on the go.
The service will offer a faster browsing experience for iPad users and can also create a
personal hotspot which can be used by upto eight users.
Clearwire is also supporting 30 WiMax-enabled computers with the release of the Dell
Inspiron Mini 10 Netbook.
AIR.U TO BRING SUPER WIFI TO SMALL COLLEGE TOWNS, MICROSOFT AND GOOGLE
TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS
Full Article>>
A consortium of higher education associations, public interest groups and high-tech
companies today announced a partnership named AIR.U (Advanced Internet Regions) to
deploy Super Wi- Fi networks to upgrade the broadband available to underserved
campuses
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AIR.U will use Super Wi-Fi networks on the white space spectrum. This initiative hopes to
bring between 20 and 100Mbps of wireless connectivity to rural educational institutions,
which will then provide internet access to local communities.
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CARRIER GRADE WIFI
OPERATORS WILL TEST WI-FI ROAMING, SIMPLIFIED LOGIN IN Q4
Full Article>>
The Wi-Fi Alliance has begun certifying products that simplify access to hotspots and
roaming between different mobile service operators; providers and equipment vendors
are expected to test these products in the fourth quarter.
Users will be able to authenticate with a SIM card and move between mobile networks
and Wi-Fi hotspots from different providers both at home and abroad.
The Wi-Fi Alliance announced it had started certifying the underlying products as part of
the organization's Passpoint program, which is based on technology defined in its
Hotspot 2.0 specification.
According to the Wi-Fi Alliance, there is now finally a single industry-wide solution for
seamless access to Wi-Fi-based mobile broadband,
The first products to be certified include access points, controllers and clients from BelAir
Networks, which is owned by Ericsson, Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Intel, Marvell,
MediaTek, Qualcomm and Ruckus Wireless.
Thirty-seven operators and 24 vendors will take part in the trial, according to the WBA.
The first group includes AT&T, China Mobile, Orange and Time Warner Cable while the
vendors list includes companies such as Cisco Systems, Ericsson and Intel.
BERLIN BRANDENBURG AIRPORT SELECTS BOINGO WIRELESS AS WI-FI PROVIDER
Full Article>>
Boingo Wireless announced that it has been chosen as Wi-Fi provider for the new Berlin
Brandenburg Airport Willy Brandt. Boingo’s Wi-Fi services will be available timed to the
airport's opening on March 17, 2013.
Wi-Fi access plans available to Berlin Brandenburg travelers will include Boingo Europe
Plus, providing unlimited access at more than 200,000 hotspots throughout the Europe,
Middle East and Africa region, and Boingo Global, providing flat rate access. Hourly and
day passes will also be available for purchase.
The airport network may also be accessible to future regional and international roaming
and platform service partners.
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SWEDEN’S ANYFI TURNS ANY WI-FI NETWORK INTO A SMALL CELL
Full Article>>
Swedish startup Anyfi Networks has developed a technology that potentially turns any
access point into an extension of a customer’s home wireless LAN. Anyfi’s technology
breaks the tie between the physical radio and the Wi-Fi network, connecting your device
to myriad access points and public hotspots you have never encountered before.
According to co-founder and CEO Björn Smedman, Anyfi automatically spawns “virtual
hotspots” that your device treats just as it would your home network.
Every device sees the totality of an operator’s ‘network,’ whether it’s the Wi-Fi embedded
in its own or a public hotspot network with Anyfi’s software installed, said Smedman, cofounder and CEO. “Whenever it sees that network it will automatically connect,”
Smedman said. “We’re creating virtual access points that make every Wi-Fi access point
accessible to every network.”
Smedman said the technology could be used in any a number of scenarios. For example, a
cable operator like Time Warner could sell that access to a wireless operator looking to
offload traffic from its 3G or 4G networks.
CANADA: TIM HORTONS ADDING FREE WI-FI
Full Article>>
Tim Hortons Inc. is adding free wireless network access service to more than 2,000 of its
Canadian restaurants.
Tims has already started rolling out the high-speed Wi-Fi and said it will offer the free
service in more than 90% of its traditional eat-in Canadian restaurants by September. Bell
Mobility will be the service provider.
Plus, he added, customers using free Wi-Fi inside a retail outlet may reduce the load on a
carrier’s cellular network, allowing them to manage their capital investment.
CHICAGO TO GET HYPER-CONNECTED UNDER RAHM EMANUEL'S GRAND WI-FI PLAN
Full Article>>
Rahm Emanuel, the mayor of Chicago, is planning to turn downtown Chicago into a
wireless network zone. Under the plans, the city's traffic and street lights would be
turned into smart polls, ensuring unbroken internet access throughout the city centre
that would be extended underground across the entire CTA subway system.
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The plans would give Chicago, Emanuel believes, a huge strategic advantage. "We are the
broadband backbone of America, right here. That's a physical fact, and I have to use that
advantage to its maximum capacity, both in the city and in terms of connectivity with the
rest of the world."
UK: VIRGIN MEDIA UNDERGROUND WI-FI HITS 40TH STATION, 100,000 USERS
Full Article>>
Virgin Media has brought Wi-Fi to 41 London Underground stations, getting 100,000
people online in the first month of service.
By the end of 2012, Virgin Media intends to have 120 London Underground stations
hooked up to the information superhighway, although free browsing will come to an end
in autumn.
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DAS
Items Statistics
PALO ALTO: CITY'S CELL-TOWER PLAN MEETS COOL RECEPTION FROM AT&T
Full Article>>
A proposal by Palo Alto officials to create a citywide plan for cell towers is unlikely to
prevent AT&T from installing dozens of antennas at local neighborhoods in the coming
months.
The City Council directed staff to solicit proposals from communication companies that
would help the city come up with the wireless-communication plan. The plan will likely
rely largely on large "macro" cell towers on the city's substations to boost Palo Alto's cell
reception and data capacity and could prompt revisions to the zoning ordinance to make
these towers legal.
The plan is Palo Alto's response to a proposal by AT&T to install about 80 small antennas
on existing utility poles throughout the city. In recent discussions, council members have
been leaning toward allowing fewer towers of larger sizes rather than the scattering of
DAS equipment.
AT&T submitted a letter to the city arguing that the proposal to install the macro towers
would not "obviate the need for the pending DAS nodes and additional macro sites to
address coverage and capacity needs within the city." They also argued that it is too
"optimistic" to expect the city to revise its height limits to allow the cell towers in a
"timely manner."
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OPPORTUNITIES
Segment
Country / Region
Opportunity
Broadband
India
Design and construction of broadband networks in
Lenvik municipal services
internet and TV / video.
including
telephony-
Broadband
India
Tenders are invited for a broadband project in
KwaZulu-Natal municipalities. The demand is for
innovative networks and services with high capacity
for households, businesses and municipal entities.
Broadband
USA
Niagara and Orleans counties plan a survey on
which areas lack internet coverage in the hope to
rectify that and offer wireless broadband access as
a municipal service.
Video Surveillance
USA
15 wireless video cameras will be installed at
Schenectady County in addition to 109 cameras
that are already installed.
Broadband
Canada
An initiative to build a municipal broadband
network in Nelson appears to be gaining traction
Video Surveillance
Pakistan
Karachi Metropolitan Corporation has approved a
Rs31.62 billion tax free budget for the next fiscal
year 2012-13. Rs400 million from that budget are
for wireless video surveillance system phase-II
Broadband
Poland
Tender for construction and extension of the
Municipal Broadband Network for the City of
Gliwice
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FREQUENCY, REGULATION AND GENERAL MARKET
NAMIBIA AND BOTSWANA INAUGURATE FAST BROADBAND CABLE
Full Article>>
Namibia and Botswana on Tuesday inaugurated their links to a 14,000 kilometre (8,700
mile) underground cable system that provides Internet connectivity.
Telecom Namibia will operate and manage the landing station, one of 15 points of the
cable which runs between Britain and South Africa.
Land-locked neighbour Botswana shared the $75 million local costs of the cable with
Namibia.
KENYA'S WANANCHI CLOSES $140M FUNDING FOR BROADBAND ROLLOUT
Full Article>>
Kenyan broadband Internet infrastructure developer Wananchi Group Holdings has
closed on $140 million as part of a push from investors to bridge the digital divide in Africa
and to sell services to the new consumer class emerging among the continent's highgrowth economies.
With a $68 million equity commitment from its existing investors and a $72 million debt
investment from the Overseas Private Investment Corp., Wananchi Group is hoping to
expand its high-speed Internet services across most of sub-Saharan East Africa, according
to Wananchi Chief Executive Richard Bell.
LATIN AMERICA WILL ACCOUNT FOR OVER 50 MILLION 4G SUBSCRIBERS BY END OF
2017
Full Article>>
Latin America will account for 51 million 4G subscribers by the end of 2017, according to
the most recent report published by Maravedis-Rethink entitled "4G Latin America
Analysis and Forecasts 2012-2017."
"[…] 4G market adoption is rather slow and dominated by LTE" said Cintia Garza, author
of the report. "4G market adoption will continue to be slow in the next two years due to a
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number of factors, including a slow spectrum allocation process, a rather conservative
attitude by dominant mobile carriers towards 4G, a low ARPU and the dominance of
prepaid in the region."
AT&T CEO CALLS ON FCC TO FREE MORE WIRELESS SPECTRUM
Full Article>>
AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson is taking aim at the FCC's plan to unleash spectrum for
wireless broadband deployment. AT&T CEO claims that the US is not keeping pace with
other countries when it comes to finding spectrum for carriers to use to roll out
broadband service.
According to Stephenson, demand for spectrum has greatly outpaced supply - leading to
a crisis which will jeopardize President Obama's goal to provide 4G/LTE service to 98% of
Americans within the next few years.
Stephenson proposes three specific actions to solve the spectrum shortage problem:
• Require spectrum holders to put the airwaves to work. If a buyer hasn't used the
spectrum within a reasonable time period they would either have to put it up for sale,
lease it or find a partner who can build it out.
• Quickly get spectrum where consumers need it most. Which means the FCC will need to
approve buying and selling deals much faster.
• Establish a national model for the local approval process that's required when wireless
carriers need to build new mobile infrastructure. The process needs to balance
community concerns with the significant public benefit of adding new antennas and
improving wireless coverage in local markets.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
CONNECTED HEALTH ASIA 2012
Full Article>>
The event will take place between 16 July 2012 2:00 AM to 19 July 2012 10:00 AM, in
Singapore.
It will focus on critical issues in healthcare delivery and how it can be improved through
connectivity – whether mobile, electronic or tele.
MOBILE BROADBAND WORLD
Full Article>>
The event will take place between 24-27 September, at the Canary Wharf Hilton in
London. The event will focus on mobile broadband, finance and efficiency, the impact of
regulations, implementation, offload and backhaul.
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