WASHINGTON-A broad cross section of wireless carriers, manufacturers and trade associations called on the Clinton administration to secure an additional 160 megahertz for third-generation mobile phone service and to promote global spectrum harmonization at the World Radiocommunication Conference in Istanbul next year.
In comments submitted to the Federal Communications Commission, the industry coalition said it also wants U.S. support for evolving existing cellular, personal communications services and mobile satellite services into wideband, multimedia 3G services and for identifying the availability of existing MSS spectrum at 1-3 GHz for the satellite component of 3G.
The FCC currently is crafting rules for 2 GHz MSS. A big challenge facing regulators is how to accommodate incumbent 2 GHz licensees that are subject to relocation by MSS operators.
Federal regulators also must figure out how to strike a balance between the interests of MSS operators, which need frequencies for feeder links, and terrestrial fixed-wireless users who do not want their frequencies taken for that purpose.
Lucent Technologies Inc., a member of the industry group weighing on WRC-2000 at the FCC, is separately pushing for broader language in a footnote of International Telecommunication Union regulations to recognize cellular and PCS frequencies for 3G evolution.
The Clinton administration, for its part, wants to kill the footnote altogether because it believes it is unnecessary. The footnote from the 1992 WRC designates the 1.8-2.2 GHz band for 3G, but gives countries the option of using the spectrum for other purposes.
The footnote is just one of the various issues contributing to the strain over WRC-2000 strategy between the wireless industry and the White House.
For months, the industry has been grumbling over the prospect that Vonya McCann, the State Department’s international telecom policy adviser, might lead the U.S. WRC-2000 delegation. Industry wants one of their own, or at least a political appointee, to represent the United States in Instanbul, May 8 through June 2. Last week, it appeared industry got what it wanted.
The administration unofficially has settled on Gail Schoettler, the Democratic lieutenant governor of Colorado, to head the U.S. WRC-2000 delegation.
On a related front, administration and industry officials plan to meet Tuesday to discuss a possible response to European Commissioner Karel van Miert on his recent letter to U.S. officials, in which he voiced support for ITU harmonization of 3G Code Division Multiple Access standards, while reiterating plans to deploy a pan-European 3G system based on technology developed by Finland’s Nokia Oy, Sweden’s L.M. Ericsson and Japan.
