WASHINGTON-The Clinton administration last week urged the European Union to permit licensing of all third-generation mobile phone standards approved by the International Telecommunication Union.
In addition, according to a source familiar with the contents of the U.S.-EU letter, the administration identified problems with licensing policies of nine EU states.
The administration made its points in a letter sent to Erkki Liikanen, European Commissioner for Enterprise and Information Society. The letter was signed by United States Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky, Commerce Secretary William Daley and Federal Communications Commission Chairman William Kennard.
The administration did not make the letter public.
The United States and European Union have been gently sparring for months-via diplomatic correspondence-over 3G licensing in Europe. The United States is worried the EU will discriminate against American-made technology in licensing 3G mobile phone systems. The EU said it fears U.S. wireless policy possibly locks out foreign firms.
The EU has called for a pan-European 3G system using technology championed by Finland’s Nokia Corp. and Sweden’s L.M. Ericsson. But EU officials insist other licensing opportunities will be available for Code Division Multiple Access and Time Division Multiple Access technologies.
