WCAI member Airspan Networks announced today that the FCC certified its WiMAX equipment to operate over the full 50 MHz of the 3.65 GHz lightly licensed band in the United States. The certification for the first time allows U.S. 3.65 GHz operators to use the upper "unrestricted" 25 MHz of this lightly licensed frequency band.
The announcement is a major first step on the way to unleashing the potential of the 3.65 GHz band in the United States. This industry-first certification unlocks 25 MHz of valuable spectrum and opens the door to hundreds of licensees who stand ready to bring advanced wireless broadband services to rural America.
Led by some of the major players in the band, WCAI recently launched an effort to harmonize the 3.65 GHz frequencies by addressing its remaining regulatory and technical challenges. Airspan is an active member of the WCAI’s 3.65 GHz Working Group, which is also supported by major manufacturers and licensees in the 3.65 GHz band. We look forward to working with the FCC and the industry to unleash the value in the band to the benefit of operators, equipment vendors and the public.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
WCAI Launches Industry Effort to Unlock 3.65 GHz Band Potential
Building on a solid track record of successful government advocacy in wireless broadband in the United States and globally, WCAI has launched an industry-led effort to unlock the potential of the 3.65 GHz band by addressing its remaining regulatory and technical challenges.
Earlier this month, we formed the 3.65 GHz Working Group to:
(1) Develop a synchronization protocol in the band to promote coordination and mitigate harmful interference among operators;
(2) Promote coordination between suppliers and operators; and
(3) Address regulatory issues within the band.
Leading the initiative is Jason Lazar, Vice President of Corporate Development and General Counsel of KeyOn Communications and Chair of our 3.65 GHz Working Group. KeyOn is a wireless broadband provider operating in the 3.65 GHz and other bands that serves customers in 11 states, primarily in rural markets.
“Our vast regulatory and technical experience makes WCAI an ideal vehicle for an industry-led 3.65 GHz Working Group,” said WCAI President Fred Campbell, who played an instrumental role in developing the rules for the 3.65 GHz band in his previous position as an FCC Wireless Bureau Chief. “This new initiative will help unlock the full potential of the 3.65 GHz band for the benefit of the industry and consumers alike.”
The 3.65 GHz band presents a unique opportunity to operators in the United States to expand their coverage to new markets and improve the economics and performance of their networks. Over 1,100 operators nationwide have applied for or received a license to operate in these lightly licensed frequencies since they were made available by the FCC in 2005. However, the band has still not reached a critical mass of deployment and harbors significant potential for growth.
“The establishment of a 3.65 GHz Working Group within WCAI represents a significant step forward for those using the band to deliver wireless broadband services,” said WCAI Counsel Paul Sinderbrand of Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP. “Whether working with industry to develop best practices that can be implemented without the need for new FCC rules, or working with the FCC to develop new rules where necessary, WCAI has a track record of unleashing the value in wireless broadband spectrum to the benefit of operators, equipment vendors and the public. WCAI was actively involved when the current rules governing the band were adopted, and the 3.65 GHz Working Group will continue WCAI's role in the growth of the band as a vehicle for wireless broadband distribution."
WCAI held an informative webinar presentation to launch the group.
Earlier this month, we formed the 3.65 GHz Working Group to:
(1) Develop a synchronization protocol in the band to promote coordination and mitigate harmful interference among operators;
(2) Promote coordination between suppliers and operators; and
(3) Address regulatory issues within the band.
Leading the initiative is Jason Lazar, Vice President of Corporate Development and General Counsel of KeyOn Communications and Chair of our 3.65 GHz Working Group. KeyOn is a wireless broadband provider operating in the 3.65 GHz and other bands that serves customers in 11 states, primarily in rural markets.
“Our vast regulatory and technical experience makes WCAI an ideal vehicle for an industry-led 3.65 GHz Working Group,” said WCAI President Fred Campbell, who played an instrumental role in developing the rules for the 3.65 GHz band in his previous position as an FCC Wireless Bureau Chief. “This new initiative will help unlock the full potential of the 3.65 GHz band for the benefit of the industry and consumers alike.”
The 3.65 GHz band presents a unique opportunity to operators in the United States to expand their coverage to new markets and improve the economics and performance of their networks. Over 1,100 operators nationwide have applied for or received a license to operate in these lightly licensed frequencies since they were made available by the FCC in 2005. However, the band has still not reached a critical mass of deployment and harbors significant potential for growth.
“The establishment of a 3.65 GHz Working Group within WCAI represents a significant step forward for those using the band to deliver wireless broadband services,” said WCAI Counsel Paul Sinderbrand of Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP. “Whether working with industry to develop best practices that can be implemented without the need for new FCC rules, or working with the FCC to develop new rules where necessary, WCAI has a track record of unleashing the value in wireless broadband spectrum to the benefit of operators, equipment vendors and the public. WCAI was actively involved when the current rules governing the band were adopted, and the 3.65 GHz Working Group will continue WCAI's role in the growth of the band as a vehicle for wireless broadband distribution."
WCAI held an informative webinar presentation to launch the group.
Monday, November 16, 2009
WCAI to Host a Webinar on Unlocking the Potential of the 3.65 GHz Band
WCAI will host a webinar at 1 pm ET on Wednesday, Nov. 18 to examine the challenges facing the 3.65 GHz band in the United States and discuss the ways to unlock the band’s potential.
The 3.65 GHz band presents a unique opportunity to operators in the United States to expand their coverage to new markets and improve the economics and performance of their networks. Over 800 operators nationwide have applied for or received a license to operate in these lightly licensed frequencies since they were made available by the FCC in 2005. However, the band has still not reached a critical mass of deployment and harbors significant potential for growth.
Join the WCAI webinar and find out how you can maximize your return on investment in the 3.65 GHz band and unlock the band's potential by addressing its remaining regulatory and technical challenges. The webinar is open to all and is free of charge. For more information or to register, please visit the WCAI’s 3.65 GHz Webinar Registration Page.
The 3.65 GHz band presents a unique opportunity to operators in the United States to expand their coverage to new markets and improve the economics and performance of their networks. Over 800 operators nationwide have applied for or received a license to operate in these lightly licensed frequencies since they were made available by the FCC in 2005. However, the band has still not reached a critical mass of deployment and harbors significant potential for growth.
Join the WCAI webinar and find out how you can maximize your return on investment in the 3.65 GHz band and unlock the band's potential by addressing its remaining regulatory and technical challenges. The webinar is open to all and is free of charge. For more information or to register, please visit the WCAI’s 3.65 GHz Webinar Registration Page.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
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:
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.
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.
Monday, November 2, 2009
WCAI Recommends FCC Establish a Pervasive Computing Test Bed
The Internet today is broadband, mobility, and social networking. The Internet of the future will be pervasive computing with access to broadband everywhere. WCAI today asked the FCC to make the transition to pervasive computing environment a primary goal of the nation’s broadband plan.
To achieve this goal, WCAI recommends that the FCC’s national broadband plan establish a city-wide computing test bed to enable experimental research in pervasive computing. The alternative is to risk falling behind nations like Korea, who are developing large-scale pervasive computing test beds today. A city-wide test bed in the United States would spur the development of pervasive computing by providing a locus for collaboration between researches, industry, and government – all of whom will likely be necessary to evolve our current computing paradigm to pervasive computing and reestablish America’s leadership in information technology.
Pervasive computing turns anything in our environment, including the human body, into a networked resource. Information is being generated everywhere, all the time, but usually without a means of collecting and using it. With pervasive computing enabled by ubiquitous wireless networks, this information can be collected and disseminated in real-time seamlessly and unobtrusively. Such capabilities will be essential to supporting the various purposes envisioned by the national broadband plan, including health case, energy, and education.
As WCAI noted in its initial comments in the national broadband plan proceeding, pervasive computing capabilities have been largely unprecedented in the broadband policy debate. This should change if the United States is to be at the forefront of broadband and computing. Developing a large-scale pervasive computing test bed would help ensure that the United States accomplishes those goals.
To achieve this goal, WCAI recommends that the FCC’s national broadband plan establish a city-wide computing test bed to enable experimental research in pervasive computing. The alternative is to risk falling behind nations like Korea, who are developing large-scale pervasive computing test beds today. A city-wide test bed in the United States would spur the development of pervasive computing by providing a locus for collaboration between researches, industry, and government – all of whom will likely be necessary to evolve our current computing paradigm to pervasive computing and reestablish America’s leadership in information technology.
Pervasive computing turns anything in our environment, including the human body, into a networked resource. Information is being generated everywhere, all the time, but usually without a means of collecting and using it. With pervasive computing enabled by ubiquitous wireless networks, this information can be collected and disseminated in real-time seamlessly and unobtrusively. Such capabilities will be essential to supporting the various purposes envisioned by the national broadband plan, including health case, energy, and education.
As WCAI noted in its initial comments in the national broadband plan proceeding, pervasive computing capabilities have been largely unprecedented in the broadband policy debate. This should change if the United States is to be at the forefront of broadband and computing. Developing a large-scale pervasive computing test bed would help ensure that the United States accomplishes those goals.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Enforta to Add 25 Cities to Its Russian WiMAX Network in 2010
Leveraging its position as Russia’s largest regional WiMAX operator, WCAI member Enforta stepped up its expansion efforts this year, despite the difficulties caused by the global economic recession. The operator announced this week it will expand its wireless broadband service in Russia to cover an additional 25 cities during 2010, increasing the company’s overall service ‘footprint’ to 93 cities.
Included in the 25 new cities is Kazan – the last remaining city in Russia with a population exceeding 500K that Enforta does not presently serve. The first four cities are expected to launch as early as the first quarter of 2010. Upon conclusion of these deployments 70 million people will be within reach of Enforta’s service.
The global economic crisis has certainly thrown a number of rocks in Enforta’s path. At the worst point in the crisis both the Russian equities market and the Russian Rubble had lost fully half their value. A number of the largest regional capital cities stared unemployment bordering 30%, and for a few months Enforta’s credit related subscriber churn exceeded 25% per annum.
Though the Russian economy has slowed, demand for broadband services remains good due to the growing Internet population (Russia now ranks #9 globally), and negligible broadband penetration (less than 8%).
“Russia has certainly not been exempt from the global economic crisis, but in the last few months we have seen steady improvement,” said Victor Ratnikov, Enforta’s General Director. “In order for Enforta to maintain its leadership position, we believe the time is right to renew our expansion program – particularly in some of the smaller regional capitals where our corporate subscriber base is underserved.”
The tough economic times have also served as a catalyst for larger enterprises migrating to Enforta. Enforta’s end-to-end service management, nationwide operating footprint, and rapid installation are continually referenced amongst the reasons why some of the nation’s largest companies are switching to Enforta. Last quarter Enforta received its first major order from the Russian government covering 420 sites.
“Today Enforta is fiscally stronger than ever before, and thus it is timely and appropriate that we resume our geographic expansion in order to retain the company’s leadership position in providing wireless broadband services to Russia’s regional capital cities,” said Enforta President Lee Sparkman. Enforta plans to invest approximately $25 million during 2010 for the expansion program, with most funding coming out of the company’s own cash flow.
Enforta was formed in October, 2003 with the objective to provide broadband services using WiMAX and other advanced technologies in Russia’s regional capitals. The Company is owned by Baring Vostok Capital Partners, Sumitomo Corporation, Bessemer Venture Partners, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Enforta has aggressively deployed its broadband services across Russia’s regional capitals and despite its short six year history the Company was included amongst the largest 30 telecom operators in the ‘CNews’ annual survey.
Enforta is amongst many who have publicly announced their intention to compete in the upcoming state sponsored contest for 2.3-2.4GHz spectrum. The ‘beauty contest’ styled process will cover spectrum in 40 of Russia’s federal regions and is the first such contest for WiMAX spectrum managed by the state regulator. While the final contest criteria have not been published, all contestants are lobbying for criteria that most favor their positions. As reported this week in the Russian press (http://net.compulenta.ru/471481/), the contest rules now award significant points to operators who own fiber in each of the federal regions, a criteria widely rumored to favor the state owned companies (Svyazinvest, TransTelecom, and Rostelecom) as well as the companies who have acquired significant fiber assets from the state operators (Synterra). The politics behind spectrum are ‘thick’ in Russia and additional changes can be anticipated before the final contest rules are announced this month.
For more information on Enforta’s current operations and planned expansion see www.enforta.com or contact pr@enforta.com.
Included in the 25 new cities is Kazan – the last remaining city in Russia with a population exceeding 500K that Enforta does not presently serve. The first four cities are expected to launch as early as the first quarter of 2010. Upon conclusion of these deployments 70 million people will be within reach of Enforta’s service.
The global economic crisis has certainly thrown a number of rocks in Enforta’s path. At the worst point in the crisis both the Russian equities market and the Russian Rubble had lost fully half their value. A number of the largest regional capital cities stared unemployment bordering 30%, and for a few months Enforta’s credit related subscriber churn exceeded 25% per annum.
Though the Russian economy has slowed, demand for broadband services remains good due to the growing Internet population (Russia now ranks #9 globally), and negligible broadband penetration (less than 8%).
“Russia has certainly not been exempt from the global economic crisis, but in the last few months we have seen steady improvement,” said Victor Ratnikov, Enforta’s General Director. “In order for Enforta to maintain its leadership position, we believe the time is right to renew our expansion program – particularly in some of the smaller regional capitals where our corporate subscriber base is underserved.”
The tough economic times have also served as a catalyst for larger enterprises migrating to Enforta. Enforta’s end-to-end service management, nationwide operating footprint, and rapid installation are continually referenced amongst the reasons why some of the nation’s largest companies are switching to Enforta. Last quarter Enforta received its first major order from the Russian government covering 420 sites.
“Today Enforta is fiscally stronger than ever before, and thus it is timely and appropriate that we resume our geographic expansion in order to retain the company’s leadership position in providing wireless broadband services to Russia’s regional capital cities,” said Enforta President Lee Sparkman. Enforta plans to invest approximately $25 million during 2010 for the expansion program, with most funding coming out of the company’s own cash flow.
Enforta was formed in October, 2003 with the objective to provide broadband services using WiMAX and other advanced technologies in Russia’s regional capitals. The Company is owned by Baring Vostok Capital Partners, Sumitomo Corporation, Bessemer Venture Partners, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Enforta has aggressively deployed its broadband services across Russia’s regional capitals and despite its short six year history the Company was included amongst the largest 30 telecom operators in the ‘CNews’ annual survey.
Enforta is amongst many who have publicly announced their intention to compete in the upcoming state sponsored contest for 2.3-2.4GHz spectrum. The ‘beauty contest’ styled process will cover spectrum in 40 of Russia’s federal regions and is the first such contest for WiMAX spectrum managed by the state regulator. While the final contest criteria have not been published, all contestants are lobbying for criteria that most favor their positions. As reported this week in the Russian press (http://net.compulenta.ru/471481/), the contest rules now award significant points to operators who own fiber in each of the federal regions, a criteria widely rumored to favor the state owned companies (Svyazinvest, TransTelecom, and Rostelecom) as well as the companies who have acquired significant fiber assets from the state operators (Synterra). The politics behind spectrum are ‘thick’ in Russia and additional changes can be anticipated before the final contest rules are announced this month.
For more information on Enforta’s current operations and planned expansion see www.enforta.com or contact pr@enforta.com.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
WCAI Congratulates Rural Utilities Service on its 60th Anniversary
On behalf of the wireless broadband industry, I congratulate the Rural Utilities Service on its 60th anniversary. The funding made available through the telecommunications loan and grant programs administered by the RUS has been critical to ensuring that rural consumers have access to essential communications services like wireless broadband.
The success of the RUS programs has been demonstrated by WCAI members, such as Open Range Communications, who are bringing the latest wireless technologies to rural America with the help of RUS funding. WCAI and our members look forward to working with RUS in the years to come.
The success of the RUS programs has been demonstrated by WCAI members, such as Open Range Communications, who are bringing the latest wireless technologies to rural America with the help of RUS funding. WCAI and our members look forward to working with RUS in the years to come.
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