spectrum 101 bryan tramont naruc november 13, 2007
TRANSCRIPT
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What is Spectrum?
• Electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all possible electromagnetic radiation. The radio spectrum is that subset of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be used for the transmission of communications.
• Radio waves of different lengths are usually identified by their frequency and can be employed for different purposes.
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Why Does the Government Regulate Spectrum Use?
• 1899: Marconi at America’s Cup
• 1910: “Etheric bedlam” – light regulation ensues
– “The claim has been made that any precise regulation of radio communication, in view of the undeveloped stage of the art, will necessarily retard the progress of science and diminish the usefulness to mankind of the invention.” -- 1912 Senate Report
• 1912: Titanic sinks
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Why Does the Government Regulate Spectrum Use?
• Radio Act of 1912 • 1920’s: Broadcast growth
– 60 stations (Mar. 1922) to 564 (Oct. 1922)
• Cracks in the regulatory regime– Hoover v. Intercity Radio (D.C. Cir.
1923)– U.S. v. Zenith Radio Corp. (N.D. Ill
1926)• Radio Act of 1927 (FRC)• Finally, Communications Act of 1934
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Who is in Charge of Spectrum?
• Independent Agency
• Commercial Licenses
• State and Local Public Safety
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Who is in Charge of Spectrum?
• Part of Administration
• Federal Government Users
• Interdepartment Radio Advisory
Committee
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Who is in Charge of Spectrum?
Todd Sedmak Karl Nebbia Meredith Attwell Baker James Wasilewski
Clifton Beck / Tony Calza
John M. R. Kneuer
Kathy Smith Bernadette McGuire-Rivera Eric R. Stark Al Vincent
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Who is in Charge of Spectrum?
• U.N. Specialized Agency• Hosts World
Radiocommunications Conferences (“WRC”)
• Responsible for:– International
harmonization– Satellite prioritization
• Organization– Secretary General– Radiocommunication– Standardization– Development
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Current Domestic Spectrum Use
• 7% Federal Government - only
• 30% Non-Federal (Commercial, State & Local) - only
• 63 % Shared
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How is Commercial Spectrum Use Determined?
• Allocation
• Service and Technical Rules
• Rights Distribution
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Allocation
• Broad categories of uses: Fixed, Mobile, Satellite, etc.
• Designed to group like uses with like uses – limit interference
• Usually consistent with International Regime (esp. for Satellite)– Broader government actors responsible for
international process (FCC, NTIA, State, Defense)– Harmonization also promotes economies of scale– Roaming
• Allocation – (traditionally an OET function)
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Service and Technical Rules
• More specific rules of the road• Economic Policy – traditionally many
rules created to generate public policy goal: spectrum cap, ownership restrictions, use restrictions, build out requirements
• Interference Policy – drives many technical rules; power limits, coordination requirements
• Social Policy – E911, CALEA, foreign ownership
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Rights Distribution
• Originally allocation and service rules that were highly prescriptive and dictated outcome of rights distribution – NO LONGER
• Lots of choices and approaches contemplated by the FCC– Everyone can use?– First-come, first-served?– Everyone gets a cut?– Beauty contest?– Lottery?– Auctions?– Others?
• Dominant policy paradigms are auction of property rights and the Commons
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Rights Distribution Today
• Two Main Schools of Thought– Property Rights (Lawyer’s Dream)
• Exclusive use rights, protection from interference
– Commons (Engineer’s Dream)• Shared use, must accept interference
• Titanic Struggle – not really partisan– Property Rights – incumbent licensees, some
new entrants
– Commons – technology companies, some new entrants, grassroots
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Rights Distribution Today: Property Rights Model
• If no mutually exclusive applications, give it away (site-based, etc)
• If mutually exclusive, then auction, unless…
• § 309(j)– Exemptions for:
• Public Safety• International Satellite• Noncommercial Educational Broadcasters
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Rights Distribution Today: Commons
• Risk of Tragedy of the Commons• Bands generally allow for low power
transmissions with no interference protection• Traditional “junk” bands – baby monitors, garage
door openers, etc.• Part 15 – regulates these devices –
– Rules since 1938– New bands in 1989– Current boom
• Three main bands today– 902-928 MHz– 2400-2483 MHz– 5 GHz
• White Spaces
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What is 700 MHz?• 108 MHz (698-806 MHz) Allocated to Broadcast, Mobile and Fixed Services.
– Occupied by broadcasters (TV Channels 52-69)– 24 MHz already licensed to commercial interests– 24 MHz to Public Safety– 62 MHz to be auctioned (2 MHz returned from original auction)
• 2005 DTV Transition and Public Safety Act– Firm DTV Transition Deadline – 02/17/09– Auction 60 MHz – no later than 01/28/08– Auction proceeds must be deposited into DTV Fund – no later than 06/30/08– $10 billion in auction proceeds dedicated to DTV converter box program, public safety
interoperability, US Treasury etc.
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What is 700 MHz?
• Auction Scheduled for Jan. 24, 2007• 62 MHz to be auctioned in 5 spectrum
blocks covering various geographic areas– Lower 700 A – 12 MHz – 176 EA licenses– Lower 700 B – 12 MHz – 734 CMA
(MSA/RSA) licenses– Lower 700 E – 6 MHz – 176 EA licenses– Upper 700 C – 22 MHz – 12 REAG licenses
(Open Platform)– Upper 700 D – 10 MHz – nationwide license
(public/private)
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700 MHz: New Requirements
• Upper C Block– Open Platform for Devices and
Applications: “No block, no lock”– Combinatorial Bidding
• Upper D Block– Commercial/Public Safety Partnership– Must Reach Network Sharing
Agreement– Extensive FCC Oversight
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Auction Rules
• Minimum Reserve Prices- Lower A Block – $1.8 Billion- Lower B Block – $1.4 Billion- Upper C Block – $4.6 Billion- Upper D Block – $1.3 Billion- Lower E Block – $900 Million
• Anonymous Bidding• Package Bidding for Upper C Block• Contingent Subsequent Re-auction
– Impact on anti-collusion quiet period– Prisoner’s dilemma
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700 MHz Timeline• Petition for Recon Sep. 24, 2007• Auction Applications Dec. 03, 2007• Upfront Payments Dec. 28, 2007• Mock Auction Jan. 18, 2008• Auction Begins Jan. 24, 2008• Auction Complete est. Mar. 07,
2008*• Down Payments est. Mar. 21,
2008* (20% total)• Long-form Applications est. Mar. 21,
2008*• Final Payments est. Apr. 04, 2008*• PN Announcing Long- est. Apr. 11, 2008* Form Applications• Money to DTV’s Public- Jun. 30, 2008 Safety Trust Fund*Assumes no re-auction required.
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What is the Competitive Impact of Wireless?
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What is the Competitive Impact of Wireless Voice
Services?• Minutes of Use
– 1995: 31.5 Million– 2000: 194.95 Billion– 2005: 1.26 Trillion– 2007: 1.95 Trillion
• Annualized (CMRS) Capital Investment – 1995: $5.6 Billion– 2000: $9.9 Billion– 2005: $19.8 Billion– 2007: $23.6 Billion
• Direct CMRS Carrier Jobs– 1995: 61,000– 2000: 159,000– 2005: 225,000– 2007: 257,000
• Revenue Per Minute– 1995: $0.43 – 2000: $0.18– 2005: $0.07
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Common Acronyms• AMPS – Advanced Mobile Phone Service • ARPU – Average Revenue Per Unit• AWS – Advanced Wireless Service• ATC – Ancillary Terrestrial Component• BRS – Broadband Radio Service• CDMA – Code Division Multiple Access• CMRS – Commercial Mobile Radio Services• CTIA – The Wireless Association• DBS – Direct Broadcast Satellite• EBS – Educational Broadcast Service• EDGE – Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution• EV-DO – Evolution-Data Only • GPS – Global Positioning System• GPRS – General Packet Radio Service• GSM – Global System for Mobile Communications• HSPDA – Highspeed Downlink Packet Access• iDEN – integrated Digital Enhanced Network• ITU – International Telecommunications Union• LMDS - Local Multipoint Distribution Service• MDS – Multipoint Distribution Service• MOU – Minutes of Use• MSS – Mobile Satellite Service• MVDDS – Multichannel Video and Data Distribution Service• MVNO – Mobile Virtual Network Operator• NTIA – National Telecommunications and Information Administration• OFDM – Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing• PCS – Personal Communications Services• SDARS – Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service• SMR – Specialized Mobile Radio• SMS – Short Message Service • TDMA – Time Division Multiple Access• UMTS – Universal Mobile Telecommunications System• WLAN – Wireless Local Area Networks• WRC – World Radio Conference
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Bryan N. [email protected]
202-383-3331
Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP2300 N Street, NW Suite 700
Washington, DC 20037P: 202-783-4141 F: 202-783-5851
www.wbklaw.com