Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Senators Introduce Wireless Broadband Bill

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 14:43:55 -0500

January 15, 2003
Senators Introduce Wireless Broadband Bill
By Roy Mark

Senators George Allen (R.-Va.) and Barbara Boxer (D.-Calif.)
introduced legislation Tuesday night to promote a wireless
approach to broadband deployment. Known as the Jumpstart
Broadband Act, the bill calls for the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) to allocate not less than 255 megahertz of
contiguous spectrum in the 5 gigahertz band for unlicensed use
by wireless broadband devices.

Allen said the 5 gigahertz band contains favorable "propagation
and power levels" to provide reliable wireless service. The
legislation also directs the FCC to establish minimum rules of
interference protection for devices in that spectrum and to
ensure that Department of Defense systems operating in that
spectrum are not compromised.

Allen and Boxer claim the innovations and advances in the
development of unlicensed wireless, radio-based networks
(currently known as WiFi), offer an additional means of delivering
data at high speed and also allow new business models for
delivering broadband connectivity to emerge.

"The goal of the Jumpstart Broadband Act is to create an
environment that embraces innovation and encourages the
adoption of next-generation wireless broadband Internet devices,"
Allen said in introducing the bill to the Senate. "Most importantly,
our legislation will build confidence among consumers, investors
and innovators in the telecommunications and technology
industries to eventually make the broadband dream a reality."

Allen said the "if you build it, they will come" business model has
not materialized for the telecommunications industry and is one of
the reasons for the current telecom recession, adding that
"fanciful expectations like these have left this country with
Internet bandwidth capacities that no levels of demand can
sustain."

He said the bill is designed to get Congress to rethink the
broadband distribution debate. In the 107th Congress, the debate
over broadband primarily focused only on two platforms, Digital
Subscriber Line (DSL) and cable and the regulatory treatment of
those services.

"This perspective fails to consider that alternative modes or other
technologies are available that can jumpstart consumer-driven
investment and demand in broadband services," Allen said. "I think
it is beneficial to shift the policy discussion away from this debate
and focus on something positive Congress can do that fosters
innovation, stimulates the technology and telecom sectors, and
encourages the adoption of broadband services."

Allen added, "Over this past few years Congress, and specifically
the Senate, have been locked in debate over the best approach
to promote and encourage widespread broadband adoption. There
is no doubt that consumers, businesses and government officials
fully recognize the importance of broadband to our
communications capabilities and the economy. Indeed, the
proliferation of next-generation broadband Internet connections
will reinvigorate growth in the technology and telecommunications
industries and improve our lives."

http://dc.internet.com/news/article.php/1569921

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