Vodafone: liberalisation is in our interests

In an interview with PolicyTracker Vodafone argues that re-farming
the 2G spectrum should be the first step towards liberalisation.

Nothing highlights the diversity of industry views about spectrum
liberalisation more than the arguments put forward by Europe's
biggest mobile phone company, Vodafone. Many operators, manufacturers
and broadcasters used their presentations at the ITU's recent
spectrum workshop to warn about the impact on harmonisation,
interference management and the television industry. But Vodafone
again argued that liberalisaton will benefit the industry. Richard
Feasey, the Vodafone Group Director of Public Policy, explained the
company's reasoning to Martin Sims.

Read the full details at:
http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?sact=504

A tragedy of the anti-market?

Favouring a commons-based approach to the 3.6GHz band has deterred
investment in a crucial frequency for the development of wireless
broadband services, argue two leading experts.

Participants at the ITU's recent spectrum policy conference seeking
the "right balance" between market mechanisms and other management
techniques may have been surprised to receive a warning about the
limitations of the commons approach. This has been much in the mind
of regulators since the success of WiFi but according to Professor
Thomas Hazlett of George Mason University and Coleman Bazelon of the
Analysis Group the enthusiasm of the US Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) for a commons approach in 3.65 – 3.7 GHz has only
inhibited the development of services.

Read the full details at:
http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?sact=503

How can we make liberalisation work?

Getting the right balance between market-based and traditional
management techniques has been the dominant theme of the ITU's
biggest spectrum policy conference in several years.

Go to a spectrum policy conference two years ago and you would have
been sold the benefits of liberalisation. Economic benefits measured
in the billions, a huge spur to innovation and a new era of freedom
for operators. But at this ITU event, the biggest and highest level
gathering for many years, the talk was mainly of the limitations of
liberalisation and getting the right balance between market-based and
traditional spectrum management techniques.

Read the full details at:
http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?sact=501

US spokesman resigns over WiMAX/IMT 2000

The WiMAX lobby are pleased with the outcome of the WP8F meeting in
Cameroon but other observers say it's an agreement about process not
substance.

As the ITU Working Party 8F drew to a close at the end of last week
members of the WiMAX Forum were bullish on what had been achieved and
felt the framework had been put in place for WiMAX to be accepted
into IMT2000 by the end of the next WP8F meeting in Kyoto in May for
ratification at the annual Study Group 8 meeting in June.

Read the full details at:
http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?sact=502

UMTS Forum Vice-Chairmen at odds over spectrum liberalisation report

A UMTS Forum report which claimed that liberalisation would cost the
mobile industry billions has been strongly condemned by a Forum
member, Nortel, highlighting the sharp industry divisions on this issue.

Nortel has dismissed the conclusions of an UMTS Forum report which
said spectrum liberalisation would cost the mobile industry €244Bn in
lost revenues. The report, called Thriving in Harmony, and produced
for the Forum by the consultants Booz Allen Hamilton argued that
abandoning the current harmonised approach to planning mobile
spectrum would fragment the market so increasing industry costs.

Read the full details at:
http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?sact=497

WiMAX bandwagon gains momentum in Cameroon

Following considerable administration support for WiMAX at the ITU
Working Party 8F meeting it now appears to be a question of when
rather than if WiMAX is accepted as part of the IMT-2000 family.

Delegates at the meeting in Cameroon say a key moment came when the
US spokesperson, Qualcomm's Peter Nurse, issued a statement throwing
the weight of the US administration behind making a quick decision on
the inclusion of IP-OFDMA as a new radio interface.

Read the full details at: http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?sact=495

World's first analogue switch off rather an anti-climax

Smooth transition to digital TV in the Netherlands with KPN receiving
spectrum for HDTV and extra channels.

Surprisingly, there was almost no reaction when the Netherlands
became the first country to switch over to digital television,
completely closing down analog transmissions. The country is 98 per
cent-wired for cable, and only a few border hamlets don't have it.

http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?sact=496

Spectrum trading should not apply to broadcasting say MEPs

The broadcasting lobby has succeeded in amending a pro-liberalisation
report issued by an influential committee of MEPs, heralding a bigger
battle in the European Parliament next month.

The draft report for the Industry Committee of the European
Parliament (ITRE) was strongly supportive of the Commission's
spectrum liberalisation agenda. The document, written by Fiona Hall
MEP, supported the introduction of spectrum trading and argued that
increased spectrum flexibility would boost economies and benefit both
the commercial and public sector, including broadcasting.

Read the full details at:
http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?sact=494

Technology neutrality raises further industry hackles

Applying the principle of technology neutrality to all forthcoming spectrum auctions has already raised fears among UK wireless microphone users – now the Broadband Wireless Access community are becoming alarmed as well.

Ofcom’s plan to auction off all the released analogue TV frequencies has attracted strong criticism with some industry observers predicting that the UK regulator may be forced into a retreat. Ofcom wants the 208MHz of spectrum not being used for digital TV to go to the highest bidder on a technology neutral basis. The wireless microphone industry claims this will decimate a sector which has relied on allocated bands and heavy hitters from Europe’s biggest centre for commercial theatre – the London West End – have rallied to the cause.

Read the full article: here