Safe Connections Act

The government and the telecom and technology industries must aggressively begin paving the way for the emergence of 5G LTE, said government officials and network operators. Major carriers have begun rolling out enhanced services to meet growing needs of data capacity, while preparing for the advent of 5G and other emerging technologies, they said Tuesday at a 4G Americas event in Washington. The wireless industry is investing in and creating new network technology to increase speeds and use spectrum more efficiently, said wireless executives. The industry also should work to find ways to make handling the next-generation networks less complex, a service provider said.

The U.S. appears to be falling behind Asia and Europe in the development of next-generation mobile technologies, said those active in 5G research, in interviews. Governments in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region "have been very aggressive" in funding 5G initiatives, said 4G Americas President Chris Pearson. The U.S. doesn't consider that "the term 5G is worth discussing" because the very definition of the technology is still uncertain, said Thibaut Kleiner, European Commission DG CONNECT head of unit, network technologies. Both men, nevertheless, expect the U.S. to move forward rapidly. To help American industry, the National Institute for Standards and Technology is establishing research projects to develop the next wave of communications technologies,said Kent Rochford, director of NIST's new Communications Technology Laboratory.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said the FCC will take up orders at its Oct. 17 meeting on speeding deployment of distributed antenna systems (DAS) and small cells, an order on avoiding interservice interference, and a public notice that would suspend low-power TV construction permit deadlines in the auction. The agency also will launch a rulemaking on LPTV issues related to the incentive auction and a notice of inquiry looking at new spectrum frontiers -- the use of spectrum above 24 GHz, the subject of a speech Monday by Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel (CD Sept 23 p4). The LPTV and auction items had been expected (CD Sept 9 p4).

Nokia representatives urged the FCC to adopt net neutrality rules for wireless similar to those adopted in 2010 and explained the advantages of 5G technology, in a meeting with aides to Chairman Tom Wheeler, said an ex parte filing posted Tuesday in docket 14-28. “Specialized services, offered for a fee, could be a significant source of value creation throughout the mobile broadband ecosystem while preserving key elements of network neutrality such as non-discrimination and no-blocking,” the filing said (http://bit.ly/1BYU9Om). A paper submitted by Nokia said 5G will offer an expected peak data rate higher than 10 Gbps, compared with the 300 Mbps LTE offers today and “virtually zero latency.” The technology of 5G “supports the huge growth of machine-to-machine type communication, also called Internet of Things, through flexibility, low costs and low consumption of energy,” Nokia said (http://bit.ly/1svNJ2A). It warned that more spectrum will be required to put 5G in place: “This means looking at new spectrum bands such as millimeter wave and centimeter wave, and using available spectrum efficiently."

Despite the wireless industry’s “best efforts” to keep up, “overwhelming demand has already led to isolated instances of congestion,” which will become more widespread unless carriers can access more spectrum, said a report by Rysavy Research released by 4G Americas Tuesday. LTE deployments “have been faster than any wireless technology previously deployed” and 5G is on the way, the report said (http://bit.ly/1lunED0). It said computing is rapidly changing from the PC era to a world where many users rely on mobile devices. Cloud computing “is a significant and growing contributor to data demand,” Rysavy said. “Growth drivers include cloud-based data synchronization, backup, applications, and streaming media.” Carriers, meanwhile, are addressing exploding demand through “a combination of spectrally more efficient technology, denser deployments, small cells, Heterogeneous Networks (HetNets), self-configuration, self-optimization, use of unlicensed spectrum with Wi-Fi, and the future possibility of LTE operation in unlicensed bands,” the report said.

The “laundry list” of upcoming changes to U.S. wireless networks means tower companies have room to grow and will become increasingly attractive targets for acquisition, Wells Fargo analyst Jennifer Fritzsche said Thursday in a note to investors. Fritzsche attended PCIA’s Wireless Infrastructure Show in Orlando this week, which she summed up with a panelist’s quote that “the runway is very long.” Upcoming catalysts include the FCC’s AWS-3 and TV incentive auctions, Fritzsche said. The AWS-3 auction is likely to be a boon for tower companies, she said. She also noted additional catalysts, including the continued rise of small cells, spectrum densification efforts from Verizon and AT&T, Sprint’s rollout of its 2.5 GHz spectrum, T-Mobile US’s rollout on the 700 MHz A block and continued upgrades to LTE Advanced, 5G and Voice over LTE.

AT&T and Verizon aren’t the only carriers complaining about proposed FCC spectrum aggregation rules for the TV incentive auction. U.S. Cellular said the restrictions could end up restricting its rights to bid in some markets, in a meeting with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, Chief of Staff Ruth Milkman and others at the agency. “Such a proposal would place U.S. Cellular at a significant disadvantage to at least three of the four national carriers in acquiring the spectrum likely necessary for the deployment of 5G technology in the next decade in its operating markets,” the carrier said (http://bit.ly/1gTXf9v). It said the rules as written would let carriers with less than 44 MHz of low-band spectrum in a market buy unlimited amounts of 600 MHz spectrum, while those with 45 MHz couldn’t buy any.

New York University’s NYU Wireless research center said Ericsson became a sponsor for the center’s research and development of 5G and other wireless technologies. Students involved in the center, which is part of NYU’s Polytechnic School of Engineering, “will benefit from working alongside this global innovator and leader in network infrastructure technology and wireless services,” said NYU professor Ted Rappaport in a news release. Each industry partner controls two seats on the center’s industrial affiliates’ board and gets early access to the center’s research (http://bit.ly/1qE2aSb).

The European Commission will release its vision for a trusted European cloud later this week, said Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes Tuesday at the Future Internet Assembly in Athens. The future Internet will have four main characteristics, she said: The cloud, big data, the Internet of Things and fast networking. They're now converging, supporting and reinforcing one another, she said. Further into the future, there could be more innovations, such as advanced networking or 5G, she said. The most important ingredient for the next Internet isn’t gadgets or tools but the entrepreneurs, startups, businesses, researchers, engineers and academics in the audience, she said. The EC will support innovations with the “three Ps,” Kroes said: (1) A public-private partnership on the Future Internet with a lab that offers building blocks for inventors to use. (2) Platforms where ideas can be safely tested. (3) Prizes to spur innovation. The EC will put 100 million euros ($139 million) on the table to help about 1,000 small businesses and startups develop services and apps, she said. The EC talked up four user-driven projects on tomorrow’s Internet, in a memo (http://bit.ly/1l0sGoU). They include the FIcontent initiative to develop cutting-edge information and communication technology platforms devoted to applications and services in the areas of social connected TV, smart city services and pervasive games; and smart toys that will be able to connect computers and online games to deliver personalized content.

Leaders of the global push to establish 5G should agree on the technology and a roll-out timetable by the end of 2015, European Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes said Monday at the GSM Association mobile world summit in Barcelona. The new technology will bring “exponential” change and is the “key to a new paradigm, to a connected society, to the Internet of Things,” Kroes’ written remarks said. Among other things, 5G enables e-health services such as remote surgery and the ability to use new apps even in crowded places, said an EC memo (bit.ly/Nrm3x). Last year, the EC put 700 million euros ($960 million) on the table to jump-start European research, and the telecom sector responded with more more 3 billion euros, she said. Other countries, such as South Korea, are also putting up funding for 5G research, she said. Global cooperation and convergence is needed to make 5G ubiquitous and interoperable, she said. But Kroes said 5G “does not mean that we can do without 4G.” The newer technology won’t be deployed on a large-scale basis for many years, and it needs 4G and 3G to get there, as well as 2G networks and Wi-Fi, she said. In 2013, 5G was a topic only at conferences, but now it’s happening in the lab, she said, and Europe should lead the way.