WCAI Applauds Obama Administration’s Commitment to Auction Off 500 MHz of Federal and Commercial Spectrum

Today, President Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum to commit the Federal government to auction off 500 MHz of Federal and commercial spectrum over the next 10 years to meet the demand for mobile and fixed broadband. On behalf of the Wireless Broadband industry, I applaud the Obama Administration for recognizing the importance of wireless broadband for today’s global economy and for its commitment to significantly increase the amount of commercial spectrum. The initiative is a critical step toward achieving universal broadband connectivity through the only broadband platform that is capable of providing access everywhere, all the time. We look forward to working the Administration, FCC, NTIA, Congress and other stakeholders to help implement this important initiative.

WCAI Webinars to Focus on Broadband Stimulus, Alternative Funding in U.S., Spectrum Policy in LatAm

WCAI will host three webinars in February to examine broadband stimulus and alternative funding opportunities in the United States, as well as spectrum policy issues in Latin America. Coming up this Friday, February 5, at 11 am EST is a Webinar on the Second-Round Broadband Stimulus NoFAs released by the NTIA and RUS last month in their second funding round. This webinar is restricted to WCAI members.

Our second Webinar on Alternative Funding for Operators in Emerging Markets is scheduled for February 9 at 4 pm EST. Whether you are a start-up looking for funding to kick-start your business or an established operator in search of additional investment, join us next week to learn about alternative funding opportunities available to operators in rural and emerging markets. This is an open event with no charge.

If you are interested in spectrum policies, especially in Latin America, do not miss the WCAI Webinar on Spectrum Policy in Latin America scheduled for February 26 at 11 am EST. Presenters Allan Ingraham, the Founder and Partner of Empiris, LLC, and Wayne Leighton, the Professor of Economics from Francisco Marroquín University, Guatemala and Partner, Empiris, LLC, will discuss current spectrum policy issues for several countries in the region, with special emphasis on Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico. This is an open event with no charge.

We look forward to seeing you on the Webinars!

e-Copernicus: Assisting Applicants Obtain Broadband Stimulus Funding

WCAI member e-Copernicus, one of the nation’s premier telecommunications and technology consulting firms, is leveraging its broadband financing experience to help clients obtain federal broadband stimulus funds. Led by Gregory Rohde and Christopher McLean, former NTIA Administrator and former RUS Administrator respectively, e-Copernicus provides clients with high quality, in-depth knowledge about successfully navigating their former agencies’ BTOP/BIP application processes.

e-Copernicus provided strategic advice to wireless, wireline and cable clients in the filing of more than 130 applications requesting over $232 million in broadband stimulus funding. Additionally, the firm worked closely with clients to develop individualized strategic plans for responding to over one hundred Public Notice Filings.

As applicants await notifications regarding progress to Step 2, e-Copernicus recommends that applicants begin thinking about their compliance strategy. e-Copernicus works with clients to devise a project-specific action plan to meet all federal compliance targets, help the awardee calculate and track job creation statistics, and prepare and submit compliance filings.

For Step 2, the e-Copernicus team recommends that:

• Round one applicants awaiting notification on their application should begin compiling data in advance that will be required for the Step 2 Due Diligence Stage;
• Unsuccessful applicants should begin revising their application for Round Two;
• First time applicants should begin developing partnerships and strategies for Round Two funding;
• Current Round One applicants and potential Round Two applicants should consider responding to the soon to be released Request for Information (RFI) to shape the rules for Round Two.

e-Copernicus is a full service consultancy built on an experienced team of professionals with in-depth knowledge of every aspect of federal grant programs. In addition to its two partners, Gregory Rohde and Christopher McLean, the e-Copernicus team includes Carla Anderson, an expert in telemedicine, grant/loan writing, and grants administration, as well as a group of professionals with the experience needed to meet ARRA and grant requirements.

For more information on e-Copernicus services, please visit www.e-copernicus.com or contact Jennifer S. Holtz.

WCAI Symposium Panelists Discuss Universal Broadband Services, Spectrum Allocations

WCAI International Symposiumpanelists last week urged the federal government to inventory the way government and commercial frequencies are being used before deciding how much additional spectrum needs to be reallocated for 4G wireless services, according to TR Daily. Although most panelists did not want to suggest how much additional spectrum carriers would need, Mohammad Shakouri, corporate VP-innovation and marketing for WCAI member Alvarion, suggested each would need an additional 80 MHz to 100 MHz, and he said they will also need wide channels for “real broadband.” Jim Schlichting, senior deputy chief of the FCC’s Wireless Bureau, urged various parties to weigh in at workshops and elsewhere at the agency. “Up until this point, we’ve had a lot of folks saying we need more spectrum, but it’s been sorely lacking in specifics,” he said, including where to get the spectrum and what the demand will be. Mr. Schlichting said the FCC was becoming prepared to conduct an inventory of spectrum under its jurisdiction if congressional legislation passes, while Danny Weitzner, associate administrator-policy for the NTIA, said his agency, other executive branch agencies, and Capitol Hill were discussing the best way to conduct an inventory of government bands. He also cited the need to provide incentives for efficient spectrum use and for users to vacate spectrum.

WCAI Releases Broadband Stimulus Report

The WCAI Broadband Stimulus Report is now available for download. This comprehensive, free publication analyzes the broadband stimulus rules recently released by the NTIA and RUS and provides guidance on the grant application process. The report also features case studies from some of the leading industry players and market analysis from key industry researchers.

WCAI has established itself as the lead advocate for utilizing the stimulus funds to achieve universal wireless broadband access in the United States. The Association works closely with regulators at the NTIA and RUS to participate in the debate on how to best allocate the $7.2 billion available for broadband as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. For more information or to join WCAI, please visit our website: www.wcai.com.

WCAI to Hold a Webinar on Broadband Stimulus Rules in the U.S.

WCAI will hold a member-only webinar on Wednesday, July 8 at 2 pm (U.S. Eastern Time) to analyze the broadband stimulus Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) released by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) last week and brief the members on the next steps they need to take to apply for the broadband stimulus funds. Speaking on the webinar will be WCAI President Fred Campbell and WCAI Regulatory Counsel Paul Sinderbrand of Wilkinson Barker Knauer. The event will be sponsored by WCAI member Airspan. The webinar is open to WCAI members only and is free of charge. For more information or to register, please contact Angela Wagner at angela@wcai.com.

WCAI Applauds Obama Administration for Releasing Broadband Stimulus Funds

Vice President Joe Biden today announced the availability of $4 billion in loans and grants to bring broadband to unserved and underserved communities. This is the first round of the funding NTIA and RUS will disburse under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

On behalf of the wireless broadband industry, I applaud the Obama Administration for taking this critical step toward bringing broadband access to rural America. As the only platform that provides access everywhere, all the time, wireless broadband is essential to achieving universal broadband connectivity, creating jobs and encouraging economic growth. WCAI members are eager to begin the broadband stimulus application process and get to work building a better America.

WCAI will hold a member-only webinar on July 8 to analyze the broadband stimulus NoFA released by the NTIA and the RUS today and brief the members on the next steps they need to take to apply for the broadband stimulus funds. For more information, WCAI members should contact Susan Polyakova at susan@wcai.com.

WCAI Congratulates Julius Genachowski, Robert McDowell and Lawrence Strickling on Confirmation to FCC, NTIA

Last night, the Senate voted to confirm Julius Genachowski as FCC Chairman, Robert McDowell as an FCC Commissioner, and Lawrence Strickling as NTIA Administrator. On behalf of the wireless broadband industry, I want to congratulate Chairman Genachowski, Commissioner McDowell and Assistant Secretary Strickling on their confirmations to serve on the FCC and at NTIA. These confirmations come at a critical time, when the FCC is crafting a national broadband plan for our future, and NTIA is poised to disburse $4.7 billion in broadband stimulus funds to bring additional broadband services to America.

The confirmation of Chairman Genachowski is great news for both the industry and users of wireless broadband services. His proven record of success in both public policy and business development is a harbinger of great things to come at the FCC.

A strong advocate for supporting competition in the marketplace, Commissioner McDowell has been a long-time friend of the wireless broadband industry. His deep knowledge and significant experience in the communications industry will continue to serve the FCC well during his second term.

A leader in the communications sector with deep knowledge of the industry and extensive experience in public policy and business development, Assistant Secretary Strickling is an excellent choice to head NTIA as it works to promote innovation, create jobs and achieve universal broadband access in the United States through the broadband stimulus program.

We at WCAI look forward to working with Chairman Genachowski, Commissioner McDowell and Assistant Secretary Strickling to promote innovative wireless broadband services and achieve universal wireless broadband access in the United States.

WCAI Congratulates Robert McDowell on Nomination for Second Term on FCC

President Barack Obama has announced his intention to nominate FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell for a second term on the FCC. Commissioner McDowell’s longtime support for a pro-competitive marketplace and understanding of the role wireless platforms can play in achieving universal broadband access make him an excellent choice to continue as an FCC Commissioner. We at WCAI congratulate him on renomination and look forward to his confirmation. Nominated by President George Bush and unanimously confirmed by the Senate, McDowell was sworn in as FCC Commissioner on June 1, 2006. During his tenure he has worked to create rules governing wireless auctions, establish a framework for unlicensed use of TV "white spaces" spectrum, and develop incentives to encourage the development of new broadband technologies, the White House said. Details. According to TR Daily, Meredith A. Baker, former NTIA acting administrator, is expected to be nominated for the other Republican seat at the FCC. Julius Genachowski is President Obama’s choice to be the next Chairman of the FCC, and President Obama has announced his intention to nominate Mignon Clyburn, a member of the South Carolina Public Service Commission, to another Democratic seat.

WCAI Promotes Universal Wireless Broadband Access in Comments on ARRA Broadband Initiatives

As part of our mission to promote universal wireless broadband access in the United States, we at WCAI today submitted two separate sets of comments with the NTIA/RUS and the FCC to assist the Agencies in implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s broadband initiatives.

Because mobile wireless broadband service is a separate product market, WCAI urged NTIA to define areas in which mobile wireless broadband service is unavailable as “unserved,” even if fixed broadband is available. In this proceeding there seems to be a misperception that, with the advent of IP-enabled services, all communications services now participate in a single ‘broadband’ product market. During the roundtable phase of the public comment period, many commenters appeared to assume that the only differentiator of broadband services is speed. However, the differences between wireless and wired networks are more than purely technical or speed-related – the ability of wireless networks to offer mobility places mobile wireless broadband in an entirely separate product market.

Fortunately, there is no need for the Agencies to define the relevant broadband product markets anew to implement the ARRA. The FCC has already delineated between mobile and fixed broadband product markets in the context of its orders addressing various merger and other transactions. The Agencies should rely on this body of precedent when implementing the ARRA.

Other WCAI recommendations include:

• The Agencies should consider separate speeds for mobile wireless broadband networks.
• NTIA should define areas in which mobile wireless broadband service capable of delivering at least 3 mbps downlink and 768 kbps uplink speeds is unavailable as “underserved.”
• The Agencies should reject requests to limit initial rounds of funding to “unserved” areas only and instead consider both “unserved” and “underserved” areas simultaneously.
• Projects that receive funding should represent the optimal mix of capabilities and cost.
• The Agencies should provide funding to “middle mile” only projects where appropriate, because delivering broadband to end users often requires a complementary backhaul solution.
• The Agencies should give substantial consideration to the views of the States, but the Agencies should not delegate wholesale their responsibility to review and rank applications.

WCAI Comments to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Rural Utilities Service: http://www.wcai.com/images/pdf/2009_wcai4-9.pdf.

WCAI Comments to the Federal Communications Commission: http://www.wcai.com/images/pdf/2009_fcc4-9.pdf.

WCAI Applauds Inclusion of Funding for Wireless Broadband in Economic Stimulus Bill

Congress has passed an economic stimulus bill, which includes funding for the delivery of wireless broadband to rural areas. WCAI applauds Congress for keeping in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill over $6 billion in grants for the expansion of broadband areas across America. Continued progress in the deployment and adoption of broadband technology is vital to ensuring that the United States remains competitive worldwide. As the only broadband platform that is capable of providing access everywhere, all the time, wireless broadband is essential to bringing innovation and helping reach the Obama Administration’s goal of achieving universal broadband connectivity. WCAI is particularly pleased that under the final Bill, commercial entities are clearly eligible for direct grants from NTIA. WCAI members stand ready to move forward with plans to bring wireless broadband to rural and underserved areas. Having direct access to grant funding will allow them to do so in a timely manner, helping create jobs fast, enable productivity, and jump-start our economy.

WCAI Urges Congress to Ensure Wireless Broadband Eligibility for Government Grants

As Senate and House conferees are working out the details of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, I sent letters to Congressional leaders today, urging them to assure that commercial entities are eligible for direct grants from NTIA by adopting the House definition of “eligibility” for the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program. WCAI’s members stand ready to play a leading role in creating jobs and bringing wireless broadband to those areas of the country that are not adequately served. To achieve these goals, commercial wireless broadband providers must be clearly eligible and have direct access to grant funding.

The letters went to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye, Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Thad Cochran, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley, House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey, House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Jerry Lewis, House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, and House Ways & Means Committee Ranking Member Dave Camp.