Sprint Nextel President Keith Cowan to Keynote WCAI Symposium

WCAI recently confirmed Keith Cowan, President, Strategic Planning & Corporate Initiatives, Sprint Nextel Corporation, as a keynote speaker on November 6 at WCAI's Silicon Valley Symposium. Keith is a key player in the negotiations leading to the new Clearwire deal, in which Intel, Google, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks agreed to invest $3.2 billion in company combining Clearwire and Sprint Nextel's XOHM. I'm really looking forward to this opportunity to hear about Keith's views on New Clearwire and Sprint Nextel's future.

Sriram Viswanathan, Vice President, Intel Capital to Keynote Luncheon at WCAI Symposium

Sriram Viswanathan, Vice President at Intel Capital, who oversees Intel's investments on a worldwide basis in the mobility segments, will give a luncheon keynote address on November 5 at the WCAI's Silicon Valley Symposium in San Jose, CA. Sriram is responsible for investments on a worldwide basis in the segments covering mobile content, services, communications, and hardware platforms. Given the recent turmoil in the capital markets, I am particularly excited to hear Sriram's perspective on the state of the industry and investment in the growing area of mobility.

Education and Wireless Broadband Work Together

The Wireless Communications Association International (WCAI) and the National EBS Association (NEBSA) shook virtual hands at the FCC yesterday. In a joint filing, the associations offered a compromise proposal to resolve a previously contested issue.

WCAI and NEBSA had disagreed about a key spectrum leasing issue involving leases entered into before January 10, 2005, when the 2.5 GHz band was restructured. NEBSA preferred that any such lease be considered valid for only 15 years from the date the lease was executed, rather than the date the parties had agreed the lease would commence. WCAI preferred that the 15-year lease period be measured from the commencement date of the lease.

The compromise would move the January 10, 2005 date to January 24, 1999, when two-way services were first permitted in the 2.5 GHz band. It would also provide two exceptions to the general proposition that leases entered into before that date be considered valid for only 15 years from the date of execution. A 15-year lease term could still be measured from commencement if the lease actually commenced prior to March 20, 2008 or both parties to the lease have reached an agreement.

It is this spirit of compromise that is leading to more wireless broadband deployments in the 2.5 GHz band. The continuing ability of WCAI, NEBSA, and others in the educational community to work together facilitates financial and operational support for the FCC's educational vision and promotes consumer deployment. In the end, everyone wins.

Hands-On with WiMAX at XOHM's Launch Event in Baltimore

I was lucky enough to get invited to XOHM's launch event today in Baltimore and try out the service. It's fast - really fast. I watched a Hulu video on a WiMAX-enabled laptop, and the video never stuttered, even though there were numerous other users nearby. I walked away convinced - WiMAX in the 2.5 GHz band is real and its here now.

Impressions from WiMAX World

I was at WiMAX World in Chicago last week, where I spent almost as much time talking as listening. At the 4G Executive Summit, a developing theme was whether LTE would predominate or the LTE and WiMAX standards would eventually merge. This theme ultimately took a backseat to the even bigger news at WiMAX World surrounding the launch of Sprint Nextel's Xohm WiMAX network in Baltimore. No matter where the 4G ecosystem goes in the years to come, WiMAX is here now, and according to most reports, is working very well. I'm going to have a chance to see the network on Wednesday at the official launch party, and I hope to have a report here soon. That is not to say we won't see significant LTE deployments too. I stand by what I said at the 4G Executive Summit: "each one can play an important role." The WiMAX party is just starting a little earlier.

FCC to Hold Broadband Policy Meeting at WCAI's Silicon Valley Symposium

The FCC announced today that the "Federal-State Joint Conference on Advanced Services will hold a meeting on broadband policy Thursday, November 6, 2008 at the Wireless Communications Association International's 14th Annual Symposium and Business Expo at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose, California." I couldn't be more excited to have the FCC broadband policy meeting at our event; and I couldn't imagine a more appropriate place for a broadband meeting than Silicon Valley, the home of modern computing.

The Joint-Conference is part of the FCC's ongoing efforts to ensure that advanced services are deployed as rapidly as possible to all Americans, a goal that WCAI shares. As the only broadband platform that is capable of providing access everywhere, all the time, wireless broadband is playing a significant role in providing competition and delivering broadband to rural and underserved areas. WCAI's Symposium serves as a forum for promoting the growth of wireless broadband, and the Joint-Conference serves as a forum for an ongoing dialogue between the FCC, state regulators, and local and regional entities regarding the deployment of advanced telecommunications capabilities. I welcome the Joint-Conference to our event in San Jose, and I look forward to meeting all of the members.

WCAI is Going Green

I attended an event sponsored by the Wireless Innovation Alliance yesterday. Google cofounder Larry Page made an impassioned plea for the FCC to take action in the digital television white spaces proceeding. Representative Inslee spoke as well and expressed his view that wireless broadband will be important to reducing our carbon footprint. That's exactly what WCAI has been thinking.

Today our Engineering Committee created a new Green Technology Subcommittee to share information on green technology best practices for the wireless broadband industry. This is the most exciting thing WCAI has done since I've been here. Through the Green Technology Subcommittee, our members will be able to work together to achieve a sustainable future. As Engineering Committee Chairman Harry Perlow said, "Our children will inherit our environment, and our efforts to promote green technology will help ensure that they have a cleaner, safer future."

I'm very pleased that so many members of the Engineering Committee were ready to take part in this new effort. Sam Windsor from Prism Microwave quickly volunteered to chair the Committee, and was followed by new subcommittee members Jake MacLeod (Principle Vice President, Chief Technology Officer and Fellow, Bechtel), Kellie Willey-Robinson (Prism Microwave), Chip Spann (Wireless Business Analyst, Connected Nation), Lawrence Behr (President and CEO, LBA Group), and Harry Perlow (Distinguished Member Technical Staff, Sprint Nextel). I look forward to great success with this distinguished group leading the way.