FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski
Today at the CTIA Wireless IT & E conference, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski delivered a keynote speech to wireless-industry executives praising AT&T’s decision to allow VoIP calling on its wireless network. Genachowski discussed what he called a “looming spectrum crisis,” as wireless Internet traffic is expected to increase thirtyfold over the next five years. The FCC Chairman promised “a full-throated, strategic look” into the imminent issue by the FCC, which he called “the biggest threat to the future of mobile in America.”
As more and more people turn to mobile devices for their web browsing, and bandwidth demand skyrocketing, wireless networks are headed for trouble.
While Genachowski thanked AT&T for opening up its network to VoIP apps yesterday, he did not suggest a change in course as far as stricter net neutrality legislation. “The goal of the proceeding will be to develop sensible rules of the road — rules clear enough to provide predictability and certainty and flexible enough to anticipate and welcome ongoing technological evolution,” said Genachowski.
Immediately following the Chairman’s speech were remarks from Ralph de la Vega, AT&T’s Mobility CEO. De la Vega said he saw “no abuses” within his industry and rejected proposed FCC rules prohibiting the favoring or discriminating against Internet access over wireless networks. He blamed a small percentage of bandwidth guzzling smartphone owners, allegedly consuming almost half of AT&T’s smartphone data use: thirteen times more data than the average iPhone user.
After de la Vega’s remarks, Genachowski responded by saying: “These are hard challenges. It doesn’t obviate the need to have fair rules of the road that preserve the open Internet.”
Well let’s say it like this. AT&T allows Direct TV Baseball on the iphone but not Slingplayer.
AT&T has partnerships with DirectTV and AT&T also has their UVers TV thing.
It is clear to anyone watching that AT&T only wants to allow products on the iPhone that generate revenue and not products that pose competition.
Data is Data. Net Neutrality is a must to keep companies like AT&T and
Apple from using exclusivity agreements to block competition.
Oh and one more thing….
the reason iPhone users use so much data is because the browser on the iPhone isn’t hemmed up like it is on AT&T’s other devices.
Let’s be honest, AT&T’s version of the web sucks big sweaty donkey balls. That is why Blackberry and Windows Mobile device users don’t use the web very much. And…on AT&T’s phones (non smartphones) the web is even more craptacular.
So Ralph, don’t give me that craziness about a small number of users using more of the web than the larger crowd because that don’t wash. If you ask your customers what they think instead of makin stuff up you’d see that your proof for your argument doesn’t hold water.
Peace out.
I have to say xultar you couldn’t be more correct in your statements. Net neutrality is a big issue, especially with att, but you know this then leads to the discussion of exclusivity with handsets such as the iphone. Everyone says put it on verizon, why so they can cripple it and take away features, no thanks. With the way things are headed with LTE, gsm seems to be americas future for mobile, but how that will truly play out will take time, afterall, we know everyone likes their cut and all the carriers will want to make sure their private jet is stocked and ready to fly. So if that means more costs to the users and more restrictions, they’ll do it, even though it pisses us off, most will pay because we either need it or have been using and don’t want to stop. It’s like an addict when someone taunts them with their drug of choice, ours just happens to be bandwith.
Hey FCC, want Net Neutrality in the mobile space? Why not “give away” spectrum for FREE instead of charging BILLIONS for it! This smacks of public gamesmanship on your part since you hold ultimate say and sway!
If you wanted to you could easily “put a foot in the mobile operators arses” by giving away free spectrum to the likes of lets say, oh I dont know, Google? But you wont because this is simply a put-on for public consumption. So please spare us the dog n pony show…