WASHINGTON-The United States appears poised to win support for a multiband global spectrum allocation for third-generation mobile phone systems heading into the final week of the World Radiocommunication Conference in Turkey.
However, according to U.S. officials last week, there remains much debate about the precise wording and the form 3G global spectrum harmonization will take.
Indeed, the United States and European Union are engaged in a spirited fight over whether any given 3G frequency band should have priority over another.
Because final decisions will be negotiated throughout this week-literally right up until WRC-2000 ends on Friday-U.S. officials were reluctant to predict the outcome.
“Anybody could upset any of the agreements, so I’m not going to count on anything being done until it’s done,” said Ambassador Gail Schoettler, head of the U.S. delegation to WRC-2000, in a Thursday briefing with reporters via phone from Istanbul.
The United States wants the 698 MHz-960 MHz, 1710-1885 MHz and 2500 MHz-2690 MHz bands earmarked for 3G. While other countries have warmed to the idea of allocating more than one frequency band for 3G, U.S. negotiators have had trouble getting support for flexible use of that spectrum.
Schoettler said a U.S. proposal to permit `advanced communications applications’ on spectrum that other countries want specifically for 3G is dead. Nevertheless, Schoettler predicted the flexibility concept will be woven into final WRC-2000 rules in one form or another.
Entering the final week of the conference, the United States continued to wrestle with the European Union over 3G spectrum band priority.
“Our goal is to make sure all bands are treated equally,” said a U.S. official. “That might not be the goal of other countries.”
The EU favors the 2.5 GHz band for 3G, spectrum used here and overseas for fixed wireless applications such as telephony, high-speed Internet access and education.
Central America, South America and Canada lean toward the 1.7 GHz band for 3G. That band is heavily used by the U.S. Department of the Defense.
Given that two of the three bands sought by the United States for 3G are occupied by U.S. government and non-government users, studies are being conducted by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (a Commerce Department unit) and the Federal Communications Commission to ascertain sharing possibilities.
Schoettler said Asia-Pacific nations generally support a 3G multiband scheme, adding that Arab countries likely will back the approach if their objectives in other areas are met at WRC-2000.
The combination of added spectrum being available for Internet-friendly mobile phones and the opening of China’s wireless market-made possible by last week’s House vote-points out the fundamental transformation occurring around the globe as free trade and technological advancement become powerful drivers of social, economic and political change in the post-Cold War era of the 21st century.
For China and many other nations, wireless and Internet technologies-together and separately-will not only be essential to serving basic communications needs but will also play critical roles in commerce, education, health care and politics.
