CTIA - The Wireless Association® Blog - Broadband

CTIA Statement on the FCC's Approval of a "Shot Clock" for Tower Siting

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:52:00 -0500

Today, I issued the following statement after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to approve a "shot clock" for tower siting applications:

"On behalf of CTIA and the wireless industry, I would like to thank the Commission for moving ahead with this item. The Chairman's leadership and the efforts of the other Commissioners have given us a foundation for our continued deployment of wireless broadband.

"Tower siting is a vital piece of our industry. It enables mobile services, including voice and broadband, for consumers, public safety, and businesses. Both Congress and the Supreme Court recognized the importance of taking concrete steps to ensure that the zoning process does not become a barrier to the reasonable deployment of, and competition among, diverse wireless networks.

"In early October at our International CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment Show, the Chairman declared his support for CTIA’s request for a tower siting 'shot clock' that would require state and local zoning authorities to act within a reasonable, fixed timeframe on wireless tower siting requests. Fast forward to today's meeting when the Commission provided much-needed certainty to the process by setting a reasonable review period and clarifying that a zoning authority may not deny an application filed by one provider based on the presence of another wireless provider in the area. We sincerely appreciate the Commission and the Chairman for quickly acting to fulfill this promise.

"CTIA and the wireless industry look forward to continuing to work with the Commission, state and local zoning authorities and others involved in tower siting to provide more Americans with the most advanced wireless services and technology on the planet."

CTIA asks FCC: More Spectrum Please

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:03:00 -0500

It’s been a busy time for us at CTIA this week with FCC filing deadlines, Hill activities, Distracted Driving Summit and of course, our International CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment show next week.

But on Tuesday, we submitted a very important ex parte filing to the FCC requesting more spectrum because, to put it simply, it is the backbone of our industry.

It’s not something that most people think about, but it’s what allows the wireless industry to create and develop the great things that you and I take for granted everyday. As Steve said in his statement about the filing, spectrum drives the innovation and competition.

In our filing, this was the first time we had suggested a specific amount of spectrum to be identified and allocated. We said that the goal should be at least 800 MHz of additional spectrum over the next six years. We also requested policymakers to meet short-term spectrum needs by pairing and allocating readily-available spectrum.

To read the filing, please click here.

Here are a few of the media stories on our filing:

mobihealthnews, CTIA to FCC: More spectrum for mHealth
WIRED, Wireless group tells FCC: Show us the spectrum
Broadcasting & Cable, CTIA wants more spectrum
WirelessWeek, CTIA Petitions FCC for More Spectrum
mocoNews.net, CTIA To FCC: Without More Wireless Spectrum, ‘Demand May Outpace Supply’

Debunking the Myth on 3G Speeds in the U.S.

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:37:00 -0500

I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of snopes.com, but it’s a Web site that takes urban legends and either proves they’re true or debunks them.

One urban legend that I seem to keep hearing about the wireless industry that I wanted to debunk is the rumor about the speed that U.S. consumers have versus the rest of the world.

Without getting too complex, the majority of U.S. consumers use either GSM or CDMA technology. Examples of GSM carriers are AT&T and T-Mobile while CDMA carriers are Verizon Wireless and Sprint.

3G GSM is called High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA).

According to a July 2009 release from the GSM Association, the U.S. has 32 million HSPA subscribers out of the 131 million worldwide. The U.S has 7% of all GSM subscribers in the world but has 23% of all HSPA subscribers in the world.

The 3G CDMA technology is called Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO).

According to Informa Telecoms & Media Group’s June 2009 report on World Cellular Information Service (WCIS), the U.S. has 63.1 million EV-DO subscribers out of 106.78 million worldwide. The U.S. has 23% of all CDMA subscribers yet has 59% of EV-DO subscribers in the world.

And while we have the most 3G subscribers in the world, we are also leading in the evolution to 4G. Verizon Wireless has announced that they'll be launching Long Term Evolution (LTE) in up to 30 markets by 2010 while Clearwire/Sprint's WiMax service is available now in 4 cities and another 10 cities by September 2009. AT&T has also announced their HSPA network upgrades here.

I hope this clarifies and finally puts to rest the urban legend about the wireless technology speeds in the U.S. versus the rest of the world.

CTIA Talks with Media on the New FCC

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:32:00 -0500

Over the last few weeks, I've been talking with reporters and bloggers about the new FCC and its focus on the wireless industry. As you've probably read, we are looking forward to educating the FCC (and policymakers) on the facts about the industry. We have a great story and we look forward to the opportunity to share this information with them.

Since the agenda for the August 27th meeting has been released, many of those interviews have touched on the three NOIs (notice of inquiry). Specifically, there are two that are focused on the wireless industry – one on innovation and investment and the other on competition. The third is focused on truth-in-billing across numerous industries, including wireless.

Here are a few of the stories that have been published based on these interviews:

8/24 - ComputerWorld -- Wireless industry defends itself against mounting criticism
8/21 - CNET -- FCC takes a closer look at wireless industry
8/21 - Forbes -- Telecom facing more active FCC
8/17 - GigaOM -- For better mobile broadband, the U.S. needs more spectrum

Wireless Industry's Substantial Contributions to U.S. Economy

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:16:00 -0500

This morning we filed an ex parte with the FCC to highlight the significant contributions the wireless industry is making to aid the revitalization of our short and long-term economic health.

President Barack Obama has made it very clear that broadband is vital for the U.S. In a Washington Post column on February 5, 2009, President Obama said “now is the time to create jobs that remake America for the 21st century by rebuilding aging roads, bridges and levees; designing a smart electrical grid; and connecting every corner of the country to the information superhighway.”

Indeed, as our nation struggles in a fiercely competitive global marketplace to revitalize once unchallenged industries, mobile broadband services bring opportunities, increased productivity and represent a beacon on the path toward renewed economic prosperity.

Highlights of the filing are:

In 2007, U.S. wireless services delivered nearly $100 billion in “value added” contributions to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (“GDP”).
Going forward, estimates place productivity gains from wireless broadband services at almost $860 billion between 2005 and 2016.

Jobs/Compensation:

Economic contributions of wireless services have grown significantly faster than the rest of the U.S. economy, averaging over 16% growth vs. less than 3% for the remainder of the economy.
Wireless jobs command compensation that is more than 50% higher than the national average of other production workers.
Wireless carriers directly employ more than 268,000 people, a number that has grown more than 6% year-over-year for the last four years.
Beyond direct carrier employment, more than 2.4 million American jobs are either directly or indirectly dependent on the U.S. wireless industry.

Equipment/Network Investment:

Total wireless expenditures on structures and equipment from 1998-2007 amounted to more than $217 billion.
Carriers responding to CTIA’s Semi-Annual Survey reported an average combined investment of more than $22.8 billion per year to upgrade their networks from 2001 through 2008.
As of December 2008, wireless carriers have deployed over 240,000 cell sites across the country.
Clearly, wireless voice and broadband services are major contributors to the U.S. economy through the massive capital investments of wireless providers, by creating high-paying, skilled jobs across the country and with billions of dollars of direct and indirect benefits flowing from the innovative wireless services and applications consumers demand.

To view the filing, please click here .

U.S. Wireless Leads the World in Value, Competition & Innovation

Tue, 12 May 2009 14:13:00 -0500

CTIA filed an ex parte today with the FCC that examines how the U.S. wireless industry measures up in the global marketplace. Using data from Merrill Lynch, the filing shows in detail how the U.S. leads the market for wireless services among 26 of the largest OECD countries. Once again, wireless in America is at the forefront in overall value, competition and innovation. Specifically, the U.S. continues to lead the world in minutes-of-use, has the lowest revenue per minute, has the least concentrated wireless market and is the global frontrunner in efficient use of spectrum resources.

Last year we began taking an in-depth look at how wireless in America stacks up against the rest of the world. This came in response to OECD broadband rankings that didn’t include wireless broadband. Our initial research last year found the U.S. leads the world in wireless providing more services for less per minute-of-use than any of the OECD’s top ten countries. Nonetheless, there continues to be a lot of discussion and debate on the state of U.S. wireless service. Today’s filing features clear-cut facts to dispel some of the more popular myths. This ex parte is an update to our prior filing in 2008 and expands the comparisons to 26 countries.

Here are some of the U.S.-focused highlights:

The price-per-minute of service is the lowest of the 26 OECD countries tracked by Merrill Lynch.
Consumers have the highest minutes-of-use per month of the 26 OECD countries tracked y Merrill Lynch.
The U.S. has the least concentrated market, and accordingly, the lowest HHI.
At least 33 companies manufacture wireless devices for the U.S. market.
Consumers can choose from nearly 630 wireless devices.
In the last year alone, six different companies have launched or announced application stores, giving consumers access to over 60,000 applications.
Subscriber counts for high-speed wireless lines more than doubled and advanced wireless service lines more than tripled in the last year.
The percentage of consumers actively using mobile Internet capabilities is higher than any other country according to Nielsen.

Additionally, wireless broadband has been the fastest growing segment of the broadband industry according to the latest FCC data. In 2007 alone, the number of wireless broadband subscribers more than doubled!

Ultimately, this means that U.S. wireless consumers enjoy an unparalleled value in service, driven by the competition and innovation in the wireless industry.

For more information and to access the entire filing, click here.

Insider Interview with Glenn Lurie of AT&T

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:59:00 -0500

Remember the old 'The Who' song, Goin' Mobile? "I can pull up by the curb, I can make it on the road, goin' mobile. I can stop in any street and talk with people that we meet. Goin' Mobile. Keep me moving. Out in the woods, or in the city, it's all the same to me........ the world's my home when I'm mobile". It was a great tune when it was released back in 1971, and it certainly could be the wireless industry's anthem today! Find out how AT&T wants to help you go mobile, everywhere, all of the time, in this interview with Glenn Lurie, the President of Emerging Devices and Resale, AT&T. Glenn tells us about his new position at AT&T and their mission of introducing wireless capabilities into a whole host of emerging devices far beyond just mere handsets in a segment from our January edition of the CTIA Wonder of Wireless webcast.

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Mobile Broadband Right Call In Economic Stimulus

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:26:00 -0500

Congress is contemplating what should be included in an economic stimulus proposal which could likely be sent to the Obama Administration by the first week of February. When considering all of the possible areas to which those important funds could be dedicated, there's no question that directing a significant portion to wireless telecom makes sense and would be a major step toward achieving a successful outcome. CTIA President and CEO Steve Largent sent a letter this week to congressional leadership, making the rational and sensible case for wireless to be a part of the stimulus proposal, highlighting the short and long-term economic benefits that will result from that. Steve makes the point that broadband incentives in the package should be technologically neutral, and that wireless broadband investment now will facilitate faster network build-outs, create more jobs sooner, inspire tremendous and widespread gains in productivity and economic vitality, and recognize the realities of 21st century telecommunications and the incredible and superior value wireless affords all of us.

Speculation is rampant about what might be included in the package. However it takes shape, as Steve's letter points out, it certainly makes sense that the stimulus proposal should encourage wireless broadband investment and deployment. Consumers are the ultimate beneficiaries, as they'll be provided even faster mobile services, sooner and in more places than would otherwise be the case. New, high-paying, permanent jobs will also be created well-ahead of schedule, and a gain of as much as $186 billion in the Gross Domestic Product that can be realized by an investment of about $17 billion in wireless broadband is a much-needed shot in the arm for our nation's economy.

Numerous industry sectors are turning to wireless as an integral part of their growth and service strategies, and in this time of great need, it's clear support for the innovation and value that are hallmarks of this industry and provide such tremendous upside to consumers and businesses is the right call.

Wireless Broadband: Here Today for Tomorrow

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:12:00 -0500

It's been some week, huh? There's an awful lot to process on the financial front... the Dow down 777 points yesterday (I'll be working until I'm 70), then up more than 300 so far today (okay, maybe 68). It’s assuredly an uncertain time, and in some respects, more than just a little scary.

After we take a collective breath, and look around, we’ll see that while there are real reasons for concern and real problems to be solved -- but it’s not all “doom and gloom.” For example, consumer confidence actually rose August to September. And while we might not have a “bailout” plan in place just yet, I believe one will ultimately be passed.

But instead of reading this for my quick take on the economy, I'd like you to think about how wireless fits in this picture. I have no doubt that the wireless telecommunications sector will be a leader in our economic recovery. According to Ovum, wireless productivity gains will generate more than $860 billion over the next 10 years , generating millions of new jobs and creating impressive advances for American business. New, high-speed 4th generation technology, such as Sprint’s WiMAX service which is becoming commercially available within the next week, is going to enable applications and services that at once seemed “Jetson-esque” . AT&T and Verizon have also committed to the LTE – a 4G wireless standard – and expect to make it available in the next 24 months.

The continued deployment of these 4th generation technologies, and the sustained growth in wireless broadband subscribership (about 70% of new broadband lines between June 2006 and June 2007 were wireless subscriptions), will enable increased productivity and efficiency in the enterprise community and truly life-style changing developments for the public. Business users and consumers alike require a wireless high-speed internet experience akin to that they find on their desktops. The industry is working hard to meet that demand , and the promise of the wireless future is fantastic.

Right now, it’s easy (and understandable) to look around and be a little scared – but before we get too worked up, let’s take a dispassionate, measured look at the big picture. Yes, times are tough. Our 401K accounts and overall confidence are taking hits. But wireless is a positively life-changing technology that is a critical key to the solution, and that should factor into every policymakers' mindset when looking at rules and regs that pertain to this dynamic facet of America's economic rebound.

Set the Shot Clock

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:14:00 -0500

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.

CTIA and Harris Talk Teens

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:11:00 -0500

On today’s keynote stage CTIA and Harris Interactive released some great new data on the teen market. Below you can check out our respective takes on teen wireless use.

High Hopes for Teens and Wireless

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Tomorrow's Wireless More Versatile

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Teens in the Wireless Driver's Seat

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AWS 3, Tailors and Poorly Fitting Policy

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:57:00 -0500

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.

Whoa to Wu's New York Times Op-Ed!

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:52:00 -0500

A recent New York Times op-ed compared U.S. broadband providers to OPEC. OPEC?! Seriously? Tim Wu's oil cartel comparison is absurd, and is clearly based on narrow-mindedness rather than facts.

Let's just deal with the basics. OPEC, like all cartels, relies on producers agreeing to restrict output to artificially inflate prices. In contrast, U.S. broadband service providers are aggressively investing and building new capacity as prices drop and broadband speeds increase. And how has that shown? The cost of bandwidth in the US is about 1/5th the price of what it was ten years ago, while the cost of oil is about 12 times as much as it was in 1998. So, scratch Wu's argument that consumers are getting gouged at the 'bandwidth' pump.

Wireless carriers have paid billions to the US Treasury to buy spectrum, and billions more building better and faster networks to serve America's 260 million U.S. wireless subscribers. In fact, according to an upcoming paper by Jeffrey Eisenach, Criterion Economics and George Mason University Law School, for the Committee for Economic Development of Australia, "in 2007, the U.S. Federal government invested a total of about $57 billion in all U.S. transportation infrastructure, including roads, bridges, ports, airline infrastructure and railroads; the Wall Street Journal reports U.S. telecom firms invested $70 billion in the telecom infrastructure alone." Private investment in communications in the US is impressive by any standard. Further, one-third of America's broadband customers use competing wireless providers to access the Internet. Mr. Wu conveniently ignores such consumer choice.

A national broadband policy is essential to our country's future, but it must be grounded in reality. It's ironic that Mr. Wu claims to oppose a command and control solution (to a non-existent problem), while supporting government-enforced mandates. The wireless industry welcomes dialogue on how communications can be provided to all Americans, but such discussion will only be constructive and productive if everyone involved has both feet firmly on the ground, and just as sure of a grip on the facts.

U.S. Wireless Internet Access Tops the Charts

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:27:00 -0500

There are a lot of people out there who say the US is way behind the rest of the developed world in a number of technological measurements … that we’re #16 in this, or #23 in that… but guess what?

THE U.S. IS A WORLD LEADER IN WIRELESS INTERNET USE!!!

At least that’s what Nielsen Mobile says in a report just released. Nielson says that we’re at about 16% penetration, or that about 40 million wireless subscribers used the mobile internet at least once a month. The report also discusses adoption rates and use of the mobile internet in different countries, emerging business opportunities, consumers’ costs, different devices, and a whole slew of related subjects. But here are some of the numbers of interest:

- According to Nielson’s research, there were more than 140 million wireless data users as of 1Q08.
- 95 million users paid to access the mobile internet, either as part of a subscription or on a per use basis as of 1Q08
- More users are using greater amounts of wireless data. The percentage of users with “all you can eat” data plans grew by 40% between 1Q07 and 1Q08

Of the 16 countries Nielsen routinely tracks, the report’s benchmarking of other countries’ use shows the U.S. as a world leader in mobile internet use. For example, the UK is at 12.9% penetration, Italy-11.9%, France-9.6%, Germany-7.4%, and China- 6.8%--- all well behind the nearly 16% penetration cited in the U.S. So often – too often – we hear the US is a laggard in the global broadband/internet use debate. I don’t expect the ‘glass half empties’ to go away or stop their hand wringing, but the independent study should reassure us that the US mobile sky is not falling, and is indeed rising.

Nielson’s look at a growing mobile internet is consistent with other findings. From June 2006 to June 2007, about 70% of all new broadband lines in the US were wireless subscriptions. In fact, according to the FCC’s most recent data, wireless has a 35% share of total broadband lines.

It’s clear that the mobile internet is growing, especially here in the United States. And as the larger mobile ecosystem evolves, the importance of, and reliance on the mobile internet will only increase. What we are seeing now is only the beginning of the next phase of communications, and it’s apparent that Americans like what wireless technology is delivering.

Wireless Packs Big Economic Punch

Thu, 29 May 2008 13:29:00 -0500

A new study commissioned by CTIA-The Wireless Association® details to what degree modern wireless technology is driving the U.S. economy. The study was performed by analyst Roger Entner and is a follow-up to work he did for CTIA in 2005. A podcast with Roger can be found here. While the 2005 report focused more on the macroeconomic punch of the U.S. wireless industry, this most recent study zeros-in on the use of wireless broadband and the enormous impact those services are having, and will have, on the U.S. economy. For example, the study found that in 2005 wireless broadband services generated productivity gains to the U.S. economy worth $28 billion per year. By 2011, productivity gains will reach $79 billion and in 2016 that figure will rise to $127 billion.

To put the study in context, in 2005 just 68.8 million US enterprise users had wireless services, and only a quarter were using wireless broadband. But by 2016, the US is projected to have 81.9 million wireless enterprise users, with 83% using wireless broadband.

The report also analyzed how wireless broadband services are effecting critical sectors such as health care. Here again, the results are enormously positive. The study found that in 2005, productivity improvements due to use of mobile broadband solutions across the U.S. health care industry were worth almost $6.9 billion. By 2016, it is projected to triple to $27.2 billion.

The study also catalogued wireless' total impact (broadband + voice service) on the United States economy and those findings are extremely encouraging. In 2005, the productivity value of all wireless services was worth $185 billion, greater than the total value of the U.S. pharmaceutical industry (according to BizStats.com). By 2016, this number will grow to $427 billion and will exceed today's motor vehicle manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries combined.

While it has been well publicized that Americans of all demographics are now using wireless services at work, home and play, there really hasn't been much focus on how these services are moving America's economy forward. We hope this study can spur that conversation. In touch-and-go economic times such as these, it is important to know that this very young industry (that was born in Chicago 25 years ago this coming October) is producing the products and services that enable America - and Americans - to remain competitive, productive and prosperous.