Expanding Frontline
The Frontline petition filed in the 700 MHz proceeding asks the FCC to (as I understand it) designate a spectrum block of 10 MHz as “open access.”
The E Block licensee would make connections to
the network available to any device maker or retail service provider on
reasonable commercial terms and may not grant exclusive use to any
customer. Open access requirements would
be ensured by the E Block operator making public reasonable application
protocol interfaces.
Yesterday, a coalition of public interest advocates asked the Commission (in the same proceeding) to designate 30 MHz of spectrum as “open access.” Three times as much. They also asked for a “service rule for broadband services operating in the 700 MHz band that
protects the consumer's right to use any equipment, content, application or
service on a non-discriminatory basis without interference from the network
provider.” And they encouraged the Commission to not let the incumbents participate in the auction at all (or only through structurally separate affiliates), and to bar warehousing of spectrum.
This set of spectrum issues is shaping up to be fascinating. The Frontline proposal seems to set the stage for an incremental move towards wireless net neutrality, and the New America-led proposal would open the door still more widely. And I understand that in the “whitespaces” proceeding, a coalition of high-tech companies (including Dell, Google, Intel, Microsoft, and Phillips) have provided a prototype device to the Commission that has advanced spectrum sensing and interference-avoidance features — in support of the argument that unlicensed devices can “safely” operate in vacant television channels.
Given that a huge amount of spectrum in this country isn't being used at all (even if it has been licensed), there's clearly a need to shake up spectrum policy. It's going to be a very interesting spring and summer in this area.
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