[Hen] FW: [CCSC] Wired in Washington - 4G in the news

[Johnson, Bill]

Bill 

________________________________

From: Converged Communications Steering Committee Discussion List
[mailto:CCSC at LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU] On Behalf Of Wendy Wigen
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 2:23 PM
To: CCSC at LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU
Subject: [CCSC] Wired in Washington - 4G in the news

 


WIRED IN WASHINGTON


Gee Whiz

Wednesday, March 25, 2009
by David Hatch <mailto:dhatch at nationaljournal.com> 

4G is not the newest MG roadster or the latest energy drink fortified
with ginkgo biloba and ginseng root. It's not a motor oil and you can't
order one at a bar (expect perplexed looks if you do). The "4" refers to
"fourth" and the "G" is for "generation," but that still doesn't tell
you much.

So what is 4G?

It's the next big wave in telecommunications. It won't be long before
we're awash in advertising about the wonders of this advanced wireless
technology. 4G is poised to revolutionize the communications landscape
with Internet surfing at breakneck speeds.

There's already hype about the coming crop of 4G-enabled devices,
including digital cameras that let you instantly e-mail photos and
portable digital video recorders that download movies during long car
trips.

In fact, 4G is already here: in Baltimore and Portland, Ore.,
fourth-generation broadband for computers is available from Clearwire
and Sprint, which owns 51 percent of Clearwire and uses its network.
Clearwire also is backed by Bright House Networks, Comcast, Google,
Intel and Time Warner Cable.

"It's [the] third channel into the home we've all been waiting for,"
said FCC regulator Jonathan Adelstein, placing it on a par with cable
and phone wires. He said 4G offers the hope of competing "in a real way
with wireline networks."

David Redl, an attorney with the wireless association CTIA, described 4G
as up to 10 times faster than some 3G services available today. Videos
now cumbersome to view on cellphones and laptops should display
seamlessly. But those are speeds under optimal conditions. Sprint touts
4G as three to five times faster, while Clearwire says two to three
times -- yet they use the same network. The claims leave wiggle room for
slowdowns during peak periods, plus it's always best to exceed
expectations.

As the industry revs up its deployment, regulators are playing catch-up.
"There are a lot of issues still to work through," acknowledged
Adelstein, who is leaving the FCC to lead a USDA agency that will play a
key role in expanding broadband service in rural areas. "It's still a
fairly new territory in terms of how it's going to be overseen."

That's an understatement. Like any new technology, 4G is being
introduced at higher price points, and customers will need to buy new
hardware. In a familiar refrain, large markets already awash in choices
are first to receive service as rural folk wait.

This year, Clearwire will extend 4G to Atlanta; Charlotte, N.C.;
Chicago; Dallas/Ft. Worth; Honolulu; Las Vegas; Philadelphia and
Seattle. Boston, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Washington will be
added in 2010. Other carriers are pursuing a similar strategy.

All this as Washington spends billions of dollars to spur broadband to
rural areas bypassed by some of the same corporations skipping them now.
Industry sources counter that they need to recoup investment costs by
building large subscriber bases before expanding to sparsely populated
regions.

And the 4G technology being adopted by AT&T and Verizon -- called LTE --
has exceptional reach in the countryside. "You get more bang for the
buck," said Verizon Wireless spokesman Jeffrey Nelson, noting that the
FCC conditioned the spectrum both companies are using on meeting rural
build-out requirements.

Sprint's 4G service in Baltimore for laptops will set you back $80 a
month, plus another $80 for the aircard, yet on the West Coast,
Clearwire offers the same connectivity for $50 a month.

"For pricing, wireless is a deregulated service. That is market
pricing," Redl explained, insisting that competition is sufficient to
keep phone rates low. Clearwire's network utilizes WiMax, considered
less expensive to deploy than LTE.

Verizon Wireless is testing 4G and plans to unveil the technology in
late 2010 while AT&T will wait until 2011, boosting its 3G speeds in the
interim. "It's all about mobility," said AT&T Chairman Randall
Stephenson during a speech in Washington earlier this month. "We're on
an evangelical tear, if you will, to ensure that everything we offer our
customers is mobile."

Both companies still need to construct their LTE networks, prompting
skepticism over whether they can stay on schedule.

The path to 4G was cleared when AT&T and Verizon walked away with the
lion's share of frequencies from an auction the FCC concluded a year ago
of airwaves now being vacated by analog broadcasters. Clearwire's
network includes spectrum it acquired from Sprint.

4G, it turns out, won't be the only game in town. The FCC has permitted
companies such as Google, Intel, Microsoft and Motorola to harness
unused television frequencies called "white space" to offer mobile
broadband and other services. New products using these frequencies could
begin appearing in late 2010 or early 2011.

While 4G spectrum is licensed to specific carriers, reducing the
potential for interference, white space is open to all, increasing the
risk. "We're a long way from having to deal with that issue," responded
Jake Ward, spokesman for the Wireless Innovation Alliance, noting that
unlicensed frequencies encourage more innovation and competition, which
can mean lower prices.

In case you were wondering, there was a 1G and a 2G and someday there
will be a 5G with enough G-force to blow 4G away.

 

 

 

 

Wendy Wigen

Government Relations Officer

EDUCAUSE

1150 18th St. NW Suite 1010

Washington, DC  20036-3824

202-331-5372

wwigen at educause.edu

 

 

 

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