TO ALL MEMBERS (Vendor AND WISP's) OF WISPA - As you can imagine with
the year-end close to Congress rapidly approaching Legislation is
changing with negotiations between the two houses of Congress. This
week we added the Cable Television Industry Association to our list of
Alliance Members trying to assure that the rules made for the FCC allow
for flexibility that could allow for better TVWS, 3550, and other
spectrum deployment, plus Incentive Auction exemptions or modifications
to the strict language presented in the original bills/resolutions. Our
audience is the leadership in both the House and Senate. This may not
be the last letter or effort but it's timing is crucial in reaching the
right people at a time when we can have the greatest impact.
A letter has been developed by our industry friend Harold Feld of Public
Knowledge along side of the Wireless Innovation Alliance consisting of
major players with interests in Unlicensed. We have found that aligning
ourselves, and being active participants, has put WISPA at the table for
future allocation and other issues which will greatly improve and
increase the speed and rules as we are provided with new Spectrum.
While I cannot guarantee the below letter will be the final version I
can assure no intent will change.
With only *4 hours* to get this done, I wish we had longer, I apologize
to you who don't check mail until the afternoon, remember us West Coast
folks had to start on this at 5AM. Early distribution is needed today
because Congress will be working all weekend. I appreciate the many
groups that are signing onto this effort. I would like your help! If
you would send me the following information in the below exact format
you will be included in the below letter. Thank you so much:
Your Name,
Company Title,
Company Name,
City and State
District: (The names of your House Representative and Senator, if you
don't know you can email [email protected] to find out)
Please send them to me at [email protected] (Not to the
return email or the members list) with the above subject title. If you
are a WISPA state chair please call your state WISP's because we need to
reach people in a hurry.
Thank You,
Forbes Mercy
President - Washington Broadband, Inc.
WISPA VP/Legislative Chair
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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
Speaker John Boehner
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
Chairman Jay Rockefeller
Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison
Chairman Fred Upton
Ranking Member Waxman
Senators and Representatives:
The undersigned companies, trade associations, and public interest
groups write to express our continued support for the quick passage of
spectrum reform legislation that will ensure that commercial users,
public safety, and federal users all have access to wireless capacity to
meet our ever growing needs. However, at present, we remain concerned
that certain provisions contained in theHouse-passed Jumpstarting
Opportunity With Broadband Spectrum Act (JOBS Act) could impose harmful
constraints on the ability of the FCC to make appropriate spectrum
allocation decisions and to design a successful auction of licensed
frequencies that will support vibrant competition, technological
innovation, and rural broadband deployment. We urge Senate and House
negotiators to modify these provisions to preserve the FCC's existing
authority to respond to changes in this continually evolving and dynamic
market.
As demand for licensed and unlicensed services continues to grow and
evolve, we believe that sound communications policy counsels an approach
that avoids anticipatory action, and instead, to the maximum extent
possible, preserves agency flexibility to assess then-current demands
for both licensed and unlicensed spectrum.
In addition, as numerous economists have stressed, there is a need to
preserve traditional FCC authority to design the auctions authorized by
the bill regardless of whether the goal is to maximize revenue or
further the goals of competition and innovation. Michelle Connolly, the
FCC's Chief Economist in 2006-2007 and 2008-2009, testified last June
before the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology that:
"this [broadcast incentive auction] will be a far more complex auction
than held in the past and will require a great deal of research and
planning. . . . I have confidence in the ability of the FCC staff to
again undertake such a task.However, given that the FCC itself does not
yet know exactly how to optimally execute the auction, it will need
flexibility in designing the auction."
We therefore strongly urge Congress to heed the advice of independent
spectrum experts and the concerns of the Federal Communications
Commission by preserving agency flexibility to consider allocations for
licensed and unlicensed use and to design an auction that will encourage
competition, promote job growth through innovation, and raise much
needed revenue. Under its existing authority to find the right balance
between licensed and unlicensed spectrum access, the FCC has
successfully auctioned commercial licenses to use spectrum since the
mid-1990s, raising over $50 billion for the U.S. Treasury and driving
growth of the wireless industry to over $150 billion in annual revenue,
with mobile phone penetration now at over 90% of the population. At the
same time, the FCC's judicious use of flexible authority has
simultaneously created an unlicensed industry that generates an
estimated $50 billion annually for the American economy, and has made
America the world-leader in development of wireless technology from LTE
to Super WiFi.
To conclude, we applaud both the Senate and House Committees, from both
parties, for their tireless work to develop bipartisan legislation that
will promote public safety, create jobs, enhance competition, and foster
even greater innovation.We remain fully committed to working with
Congress to pass legislation that allows us to fully unlock and bring to
reality the power of the wireless revolution.
[sincerely]
_______________________________________________
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