The issue of using jamming technology to curb illegal use of cell phones by prisoners is discussed by CTIA Vice-President, Regulatory Affairs Chris Guttman-McCabe. McCabe details the industry's desire to work with corrections officials to end the problem in a way that won't interfere with the service of legitimate users in near proximity to facilities. To learn more watch this segment from our June installment of our Wonder of Wireless webcast, and take a few moments to see what else we have to offer in our June WOW.

E9-1-1 is bringing consumers closer to emergency assistance than ever before through the latest in wireless technology. To learn more watch this segment from our May installment of our Wonder of Wireless webcast, and take a few moments to see what else we have to offer in our May WOW.

On March 20th, CTIA-The Wireless Association® President & CEO Steve Larget issued the following statement on the introduction of the “Radio Spectrum Inventory Act” (S. 649) in the U.S. Senate:

“I applaud Senator John Kerry (D-MA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) for their sensible spectrum inventory legislation.  We know that additional spectrum will be needed for commercial providers to meet consumers’ increasing appetite for mobile broadband services, and the Kerry-Snowe bill is a good first step toward identifying where that spectrum will come from.  Given the long lead time that is often involved between identifying spectrum for commercial use and moving it to market, this is a very timely proposal.”

Avid readers of the blog know that we talk a lot about the ridiculous taxes and fees that wireless consumers are paying.

I’ve never been a fan of taxes but this one really irritates me. In this economy, no one has “extra” money to throw around. So why are wireless consumers, on average, paying an additional 15 percent in taxes and fees? 

These  excessive taxes and fees hurt consumers, small businesses, and those on a fixed income.  It’s not fair and it’s not right. 

Our industry has always been on the side of consumers and we promise to fight to stop these unnecessary taxes and fees for wireless users. Yesterday, U.S. Representatives Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Trent Franks (R-AZ) introduced “Cell Tax Fairness Act of 2009” (H.R. 1521)  in the U.S. House. We are also supported by more than 20 Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle.

I assure you that you're going to hear much more from us in the coming months about this as we work together with Congress to get this bill passed. In fact, you might have already seen the advertisement we placed in today's editions of Roll Call and CQ Today, and you'll see the add in The Hill and CongressDaily tomorrow. 

In the meantime, here’s my statement that was issued Tuesday that provides more details about the bill:

“On behalf of the wireless industry and its consumers, I want to thank Representatives Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Trent Franks (R-AZ) for their leadership, dedication and continued commitment to defending wireless users across the country from costly and discriminatory taxation. This pro-consumer legislation has gained tremendous bipartisan support, and we are pleased to see Congress moving ahead in the right direction to ease the tax burden on wireless customers. 

Last year, Americans paid nearly $21 billion in federal, state, and local wireless taxes and fees. The Cell Tax Fairness Act will protect consumers from new discriminatory taxes and fees, but preserve existing revenue for states and localities. 

The wireless industry continues to be a critical driver for growth in our nation’s economy by providing essential and affordable services that help millions of Americans cut costs and increase productivity and efficiency. We look forward to working with the sponsors and all Members of Congress to see that this important legislation becomes law.” 

 Click on photo to see full PDF Ad.

Cell phone jamming is not only illegal, but is also a blunt, potentially ineffective instrument when not utilized by the federal government in rare instances. Learn more, in our March installment of WOW's Policy Point, on how wireless jamming technology is being illegally tested in some correctional institutions, and what legal solutions can be used to stop inmates from obtaining and using cell phones behind bars. Also see what else we have to offer in our March installment of CTIA’s Wonder of Wireless webcast.

Welcome back to the CTIA Blog and the CTIA.org site. We hope you like the new look of the place! As you can see we have completely re-designed our site to make it even easier for you to find the things you need and want. We hope you like the new additions to the homepage, the sleeker more modern feel, and the enhanced multimedia. We will be making further improvements to the site during the upcoming months to even further enhance your experience, which you hope you will like as well. Please let us know your thoughts! We are eager to hear from you!

So, you're a wireless service provider and you want to improve and extend coverage in a service area. To do that, you need to construct a new tower, and with that comes a litany of paperwork, zoning hearings, and various licensing requirements that requires a multitude of legal diligence, perseverance, and patience.... not always in equal parts. It can be an enormously frustrating and tedious process for a carrier, that is often stymied by various zoning entities... county, city, etc., which have mastered the 'delay game'. 
  
How so? Well, there are about 3,300 pending siting applications, and according to a survey CTIA conducted of some of its membership, and about 25% of the applications have been awaiting a decision for more than a year.  And in that group, more than 180 applications have been awaiting final action for more than 3 years. That's right, three years for a simple thumbs up, or thumbs down to better coverage for wireless consumers. I know there are many considerations that go into the process, but certainly there has to be a better way.
 
And there is. The industry is seeking is a common-sense, reasonable solution – it shouldn’t take more than three years to reach a siting decision.  The industry supports 45 and 75 day “shot clocks” for siting consideration decisions.  We’ve filed a petition with the FCC on the matter, which you can read here.

The FCC is considering the petition, and we believe the proposed timeframe is ample for thorough review of applications and final decisions. There's just no good rationale for needing longer than two-and-a-half months to decide whether a service provider can move forward with its plans, as wireless service providers are sinking billions of dollars into their networks to provide upgraded services to consumers who clearly want more. Wireless data growth is impressive and Americans are increasingly turning to wireless as their preferred new path to the internet.  There’s no debate about the growing reliance and use of wireless service and it's only fair to the millions of consumers who want more that common-sense siting policies should be enacted.  

Just because we’re in San Francisco this week doesn’t mean the work in Washington stops.  Today CTIA filed an FCC ex parte on behalf of hundreds of  companies expressing united opposition to the adoption of any "free" broadband mandates in the AWS 3 proceeding.

Our position: while any company should be free to voluntarily provide a "free" advertising-based service to consumers, a regulatory mandate for such a service will harm consumers and potentially delay access to next generation broadband services, especially in rural areas. 

A free service will harm consumers?  How?

Think about it:  At best, given a “free” service’s limited revenue opportunity in any market – a case exacerbated in rural areas – the licensee would have little incentive to invest and build-out the service, thereby defeating its original purpose.  At worst, having to compete with a “free” service could potentially drive most competitors out of any market, which means a reduction in broadband choice and availability.  The FCC will have essentially provided a disincentive for other companies to deploy broadband networks at a time when it should be promoting broadband build-out. 

We know that tailoring auction rules to a specific company's business plan won’t increase broadband adoption in the United States – recall the recent D Block debacle.  The US broadband market is already intensely competitive and is characterized by intra and intermodal competition, multiple business plans and innovative service packages.  

If the Commission wants to see further US broadband adoption, it should seriously consider the multiple currently pending proceedings aimed at doing just that.