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FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, a Democrat, said he supports the idea of imposing an “open-access” condition on companies bidding to acquire 700 MHz spectrum. Adelstein is one of the two Democrats on the five member Federal Communications Commission. “Open-Access” would require the winner of a coming auction of valuable wireless airwaves to offer access to rivals.
 “We need to identify meaningful spectrum on which to establish an open-access environment,” Adelstein told Reuters, expanding on remarks he made earlier at a telecommunications industry conference. “This will open these key airwaves to badly needed competition.
An open-access requirement would allow other companies to buy access on the winning bidder’s network so they can offer their own wireless services. The idea is being promoted by some consumer advocacy groups, such as Consumers Union and the non-profit Media Access Project.
Some small, start-up wireless companies, like Frontline Wireless, have also pushed the idea as a way of providing an alternative to the four large nationwide carriers — Verizon, AT&T, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA, a unit of Deutsche Telekom AG.
Verizon opposes an open-access requirement, arguing that it would diminish the value of the spectrum.
But Adelstein pointed out that the United States is steadily slipping vis a vis the rest of the world, notes Exchange Magazine. “This country has driven innovation around the world,” he said. ?We need to make sure that continues.” Adelstein called for a comprehensive national policy ? a position he also outlined last week at the Wireless Communications Association in Washington D.C. It would include clearly defined targets, benchmarking and thresholds.
David Gross, U.S. ambassador for international communications and information policy, joined John Kneur, U.S. assistant secretary of commerce for communications, at a panel on policy at NXTComm, giving a rosy picture of the U.S. broadband situation. They both disagreed with Adelstein’s accountability idea, saying such an approach would hamstring the free market.
Adelstein countered, “no one’s suggesting a command and control industrial policy.” The 700Mhz band is the “best chance we have for broadband competition,” Adelstein said. Therefore, he added, it’s likely there will be smaller, regionalized chunks of spectrum available for new entrants, or perhaps some kind of open access policy.
DailyWireless has more on the Hearings on 700MHz last week, NXTcomm 2007, FCC: Beltway Vs Valley, 700Mz Support for ?Open Access? Grows, Apple Developers Conference, 700MHz Battle Begins, AT&T ?Open? to 700MHz ? Not, General Dynamics Wins IWN Contract, Martin: Sharing is Good, Harold Feld on 700MHz, FCC Indecisive on 700MHz, FCC Decides on 700MHz Rules Today, Small Ops Squeezed Out of 700MHz?, General Dynamics Wins IWN Contract, AT&T, Verizon & Qwest Share $50B Contract, Networx: $50B Phone Contract Due, Consumers to FCC: 700MHz Democracy Now!, Civil War in 4G, Nextwave Buys IP-Wireless, FCC Firming Up 700MHz Rules?, Verizon?s $6B Smackdown, Alcatel Does EVDO in DC 700 MHz Net, Frontline?s 700MHz Pitch: Sharing is Good, Tom Ridge: Answer Cyren Call, Verizon Makes its Move for Universal Service Fund, Nextwave Buys IP-Wireless, Consumers to FCC: 700MHz Democracy Now!, Frontline Files 700MHz Plan with FCC, 700MHz in 10 Steps, National Broadband: Fee & Free, FCC to Rural Users: 700MHz is the Ticket and Oregon?s $500 Million Statewide Wireless Network.
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