WCAI Urges FCC to Make Mobility Cornerstone of America’s Broadband Plan

WCAI today submitted comments with the FCC in response to the Commission’s Notice of Inquiry on a National Broadband Plan for Our Future.

Universal next-generation mobile wireless broadband network deployment and adoption must be the cornerstone of America’s broadband plan. Mobile wireless broadband is a prerequisite to the coming paradigm shift in computing and the key to reestablishing American leadership in information technology.

The majority of consumers value mobility more highly than static broadband access at home. Mobile wireless broadband networks offer excellent throughput and mobility, and are approximately 20 times less expensive to deploy in rural areas than fiber networks. When the rest of the world is leapfrogging the limitations of static broadband connections, and moving directly to a ubiquitous mobile broadband environment, planning for an “improved” version of the existing broadband paradigm will doom America’s broadband plan to failure.

To realize the tremendous benefits of universal deployment and adoption of next-generation mobile wireless broadband, WCAI recommends that America’s broadband plan reform universal service policies with a broadband paradigm as the lodestar, assure availability of adequate spectrum resources to meet growing demand for wireless broadband services, minimize barriers to deployment and promote investment, and promote competition in the backhaul and middle mile markets.

A copy of the WCAI comments is available at: http://wcai.com/images/pdf/2009_wcai06-08.pdf.