GreenBkk Tech | FCC mulls broadcast airwaves for wireless use

FCC mulls broadcast airwaves for wireless use

By Jasmin Melvin

(Reuters) - U.S. telecommunications regulators will vote on proposals to free up more airwaves for commercial wireless use on Tuesday in a meeting that could be overshadowed if plans to act on contentious Internet traffic rules are circulated.

The Federal Communications Commission postponed its December meeting by a week to December 21, in a move industry insiders said gave the agency more time to consider whether they would take on net neutrality -- also known as open Internet principles.

An agenda for that meeting is expected to be issued on Tuesday, which will officially clear up whether the FCC will propose net neutrality rules this year.

At stake is how quickly consumers, particularly those using handheld devices, like Research in Motion Ltd's BlackBerry and Apple Inc's iPhone, can receive and download videos and other content.

Meanwhile, FCC commissioners will vote on Tuesday on ways to find spectrum to make available for wireless broadband use.

Rebecca Arbogast, managing director at Stifel Nicolaus research, said most of the "good spectrum" is already used by companies or federal agencies.

The challenge in meeting the Obama administration's goal of making 500 megahertz of spectrum available to meet the growing demand for wireless services will be finding innovative ways to better use spectrum already being used, Arbogast said.

Without more efficient use of the nation's spectrum, consumers will experience clogged networks, more dropped calls and slower connection speeds on wireless devices.

At its Tuesday meeting, the FCC will propose changes to regulations that would open spectrum reserved for broadcasters to mobile broadband use.

This is one of many steps the agency will have to take in order to complete its plan to repurpose 120 megahertz of spectrum from television stations for mobile broadband use.

The agency also needs legislative action from Congress to give it the authority to hold voluntary incentive auctions to encourage broadcasters to give up or share their airwaves.

Spectrum reform is among the few issues analysts say the FCC could move forward on with minimal backlash from Republicans, who will control the House of Representatives next year and shrank the Democrats majority in the Senate at elections early this month.

But Jeffrey Silva, a telecommunications policy analyst with Medley Global Advisors, said broadcasters may pose a hurdle, especially over how they should be reimbursed for the spectrum they give up.

"As long as broadcasters are not significantly on board, it could be difficult to assemble a critical mass of lawmakers willing to back legislation the FCC will need to transform its policy ambitions into tangible results in the market," Silva said.

The FCC will also propose loosening experimental licensing rules to give universities and research institutions more flexibility to develop new wireless devices, and will seek comment on accelerating the use of undeveloped airwaves through secondary markets and other means.

LOOKING TO DECEMBER

Many phone, cable and Internet companies will be looking ahead to the FCC's December meeting.

Key players like Verizon Communications Inc, AT&T Inc, Comcast Corp and Google are eager to find out whether the FCC will act on the controversial issue of net neutrality this year.

The agency typically releases its agenda and circulates proposals to commissioners three weeks ahead of its meeting dates. The agenda for December 21 would have to be issued by Tuesday.

Net neutrality rules would determine whether high-speed Internet providers should be allowed to block or slow information or charge websites for a "fast lane" to reach users more quickly.

Wireless carriers want to prioritize Internet traffic on congested wireless networks and have said they already do so to allow handsets to make and receive phone calls.

Some public interest groups fear that letting content providers pay to get their data out at faster speeds than others would hurt Internet users.

(Reporting by Jasmin Melvin; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

Credit: Reuters (www.reuters.com)