Reaction positive to Obama wireless plan

Reaction to President Obama’s Expanded Wireless Access Initiative was welcomed by wireless industry groups, which used the platform to continue to promote their own agendas. The initiative, announced at Northern Michigan University, is designed to bring high-speed wireless coverage to 98% of Americans in five years.
Obama praised the WiMAX network NMU deployed across the college campus and beyond, helping students in the area get wireless broadband access in the region. The university received permission from the Federal Communications Commission to operate the network using EBS spectrum to use for education purposes. (It should be noted that only students are allowed to use the network. Businesses and local residents not affiliated with the school system cannot use the network.)
Obama’s plan expands upon his original goal to free up 500 megahertz of spectrum, expecting to raise $27.8 billion from spectrum auctions. From that amount, $9.6 billion would be set aside to reduce the federal deficit; $5 billion would be set aside to help bring 4G wireless communications to rural residents; $10.7 billion would be used to fund a nationwide public-safety network using D-block spectrum at 700 MHz and $3 billion would be set aside for research on emerging wireless technologies.
The Rural Telecommunications Group praised the president’s plan to deliver 4G wireless services to rural markets, but warned about network interoperability issues. “The combination of newly released spectrum and rural buildout programs will go a long way toward achieving the president’s goals. Specifically, only by combining these actions with additional steps that would ensure access to data roaming and network interoperability in the 700 MHz band, will it be possible for all Americans to have 3G and eventually 4G access from coast to coast, regardless of their wireless carrier, and regardless of where they live.”
The Connect Public Safety Now Coalition praised the public-safety efforts. This group, which includes Sprint Nextel Corp., T-Mobile USA Inc., as well as both rural operator lobbying groups and smaller wireless operators, wants to use the D-Block for public-safety communications.
“In his State of the Union Address, President Obama emphasized his willingness to work with anyone who might offer a better, faster or cheaper way to achieve our goals. Connect Public Safety Now believes strongly that the National Broadband Plan achieves all three –billions in federal revenue, a best-of-class network built quickly for billions less than a stand-alone network, and coverage for all Americans – urban and rural – and those who keep them safe.”
Meanwhile, CTIA and Mobile Future reminded the administration of the need to keep the industry free of anything that would stifle the billions of dollars operators are willing to spend on spectrum.