Subject: [NEXTEL-1] A Spectrum Policy That Serves The Public

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2003 10:40:46 -0400

A Spectrum Policy That Serves The Public

By John Cimko and Nancy Boocker
July 15, 2003

You can walk into kiosks at pharmacies in various locations in
Massachusetts, pick up a telephone, and immediately have a real-time,
confidential videoconference consultation with a doctor about minor,
non-emergency illnesses and conditions. The doctor will refer you to a
primary care physician, if necessary, and write any needed prescriptions.

Phonedoctor, a Taunton, Mass., company founded by a group of physicians to
provide this service, began operations two years ago. Although Phonedoctor
currently relies on landline telecommunications facilities, as the company
expands, it offers the prospect of using spectrum to bring valuable medical
services to rural and underserved areas where people have few options for
obtaining medical care.

Which brings us to our point. Both the White House and the FCC have launched
efforts to overhaul national spectrum policy. As these initiatives progress,
we believe it is essential for federal officials to fashion policies
promoting spectrum uses that serve important public needs.

President Bush's memorandum on spectrum policy, issued last month, talks
about unlocking the "economic value and entrepreneurial potential" of
spectrum while ensuring that spectrum is available for critical government
functions. An FCC spectrum policy task force report, released last November,
recommends a "balanced" policy that mixes market-based mechanisms for
granting exclusive spectrum rights, with creation of open access to spectrum
"commons" on an unlicensed, shared basis. What the task force calls "command
and control" regulation (under which the FCC grants exclusive use licenses
with narrow operating parameters designed for limited purposes) would be
used only in limited circumstances. Another FCC staff paper, released in
May, calls for a transition from command and control regulation to "more
flexible, market-based approaches" and advocates making more unlicensed
spectrum available.

While this may sound laudable, we think there's reason to be worried about
where these formulations might lead our national spectrum policy.

As government policymakers look for ways to rely on the marketplace to
manage spectrum use, while also carving out spectrum for exclusive
government control, other important public policy goals could get lost in
the shuffle.

Telemedicine is a case in point. The federal government must deal with the
country's growing health care problems by taking coordinated steps on
several fronts. Telemedicine services should be promoted by spectrum
management policies that target specific and important public needs, such as
health care.

The FCC task force report does talk about promoting spectrum access in rural
areas through secondary markets and spectrum easements. This is encouraging.
But the government needs to do more. Policymakers must remember that
spectrum offers great potential for bringing valuable telecom-based services
to all Americans. We hope the government keeps its eye on the ball as the
spectrum policy process advances, so that, as the Communications Act
requires, "all the people of the United States" benefit from a valuable
public resource.

John Cimko and Nancy Boocker formerly served as spectrum policymakers at the
FCC and currently practice law at Greenberg Traurig LLP in Washington, D.C.
Their views should not be attributed to the authors' firm or its clients.

http://www.wirelessweek.com/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA310947&spacedesc=Departments&stt=000

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Buy Coral Calcium for Greater Health. 1 month supply - $23.95
(1 bottle, 90 tablets, 400mg each with Magnesium & Vitamin D)
http://www.challengerone.com/t/l.asp?cid=2805&lp=calcium2.asp
http://us.click.yahoo.com/mcIe3D/v9VGAA/ySSFAA/61FxlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/