TIA

Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)

Stimulus Package
What's in the Bill? - Policy Roadmap

 

Broadband

TIA Roadmap for FCC National Broadband Policy

TIA believes strongly in creating a National Broadband Plan that will improve lives, enhance innovation, and help restore America’s long-term prosperity.

 

A National Broadband Plan, if properly implemented, will strengthen America’s global competitiveness, therefore TIA is advising the FCC on behalf of the ICT industry, in outlining six key principles and a Broadband Roadmap that should govern the Commission’s approach to broadband policy. 

 

Specifically,TIA believes that the Commission should work to:

  • enhance efforts to stimulate investment and innovation in next-generation broadband;
  • pursue forward-looking spectrum management and the allocation of additional spectrum;
  • strive to provide communications to all Americans, including low-income Americans and those in rural areas, and  persons with disabilities;
  • support open and fair market access for U.S. companies by promoting full, fair and open trade and competition in international markets;
  • foster investment by increasing federal funding, and employing tax credits, expensing provisions, and similar tools; and
  • promote the development of a broadband interoperable public safety network capable of protecting all communities in the event of further domestic disasters.

Comments and Recommendations to the FCC, News

In its comments TIA also strongly urges the Commission to take into consideration the complexity of the nation’s broadband needs as well as the technology necessary for delivery.

Broadband Roadmap

  1. TIA Vision for a Roadmap
    1. Economic and societal benefits of broadband
    2. Set forth roadmap: goals, action items, timeline
  2. Plotting the Roadmap
    1. Enhancing efforts to stimulate investment, innovation, and promotion of next-generation broadband deployment
      1. Deliberate regulatory approach
      2. Facilitate broadband adoption
      3. Reasonable network management principles
      4. Data collection: broadband mapping, definitions, and capabilities
      5. Stable regulatory environment: Federal preemption
    2. Advocating for forward-looking spectrum management, the allocation of additional spectrum for advanced wireless services on a technology-neutral basis, and the smooth digital television transition
      1. Additional spectrum resources and globally harmonized spectrum allocation
      2. Market-based regulatory approach
    3. Providing communications to all Americans, including access to consumers in low income and rural areas and those with disabilities
      1. USF reform to include broadband distribution
      2. Voluntary industry standards
      3. Interagency, accessibility symposium with public/private participation
    4. Facilitating open and fair market access for U.S. companies by promoting full, fair and open trade and competition in international markets
      1. Participate in bilateral/multilateral dialogues
      2. Liberalization of ICT on a technology-neutral basis
    5. Increasing the amount of federal funding towards efforts to deploy broadband in rural areas, communications network-specific basic research, tax credits and expensing provisions, among other initiatives that foster investment and innovation
      1. Continue ARRA funding efforts through additional grants
      2. Funding for long-term, pro-competitive, basic research
      3. Extend and make permanent the Rural Health Care Pilot Program
    6. Promoting the development of an interoperable public safety network capable of protecting all communities in the event of further domestic disasters
      1. Need for interoperable broadband and LMRS system
      2. Interoperability of public safety systems and devices
      3. Prompt determination of shared network viability
  3. Timeline
    1. Ensure transparency through clear agenda and benchmarks
    2. Use ARRA to schedule action items
    3. To be most effective, it is critical that the Commission put in place an agenda that very clearly lays out the steps for moving forward over the next three years.

 

 

Timeline^top

 

FCC Action/Proceeding Timelines

1. Stimulate Investment, Innovation, and Promotion of Next-Generation Broadband Deployment and Adoption

Develop a National Broadband Plan (GN No. 09-51)

2/17/2009 (per FCC National Broadband Plan due to Congress)

Evaluate broadband tiers annually based in conjunction with Section 706 report

2/03/2010 (FCC Section 706 Report due to Congress)

Develop a detailed, granular broadband mapping tool tracking availability and uptake

2/17/2011 (per the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act)

Hold hearings on broadband adoption and utilization strategies

8/19/09 (per FCC National Broadband Plan Staff Workshop on Adoption and Utilization)

Act on Petitions regarding Lifeline and Link-Up (WC Docket No. 03-109)

 2/17/2013 (per TIA three-year Roadmap)

Implement broadband adoption campaign

 2/17/2013 (per TIA three-year Roadmap)

Adopt rules creating pro-investment federal regime for regulations of IP-enabled offerings (WC Docket No. 04-36)

 2/17/2013 (per TIA three-year Roadmap)

2. Adopt Forward-Looking Spectrum Management Polices and Allocate Additional Spectrum
for Advanced Wireless Services on a Technology-Neutral Basis

Conduct a spectrum inventory by February 2011.

2/17/2011 (Broadband Mapping deadline established in ARRA)

Reinforce its commitment to global spectrum harmonization in the National Broadband Plan through its Federal Advisory Committee (WRC-11) to provide proposals for the 2011 World Radio Conference by July 16, 2010. 

7/16/2010 (as established by WRC-11)

Resolve technical concerns and promulgate AWS-3 auction rules by September of 2009.  Hold the AWS-3 auction by early spring, 2010.  (WT Docket No. 04-356)

9/30/2009

3. Provide Broadband Communications to All Americans, Including Consumers in
Low Income and Rural Areas and Those Living with Disabilities

Reform USF high-cost program to transition to a Broadband Fund (CC Docket No. 05-337)

2/17/2015 (if enacted at submission of National BB Plan and transitioned over five years as TIA proposes)

Allow Lifeline and Link-Up funds to be used for broadband services

2/17/2013 (per TIA three-year Roadmap)

Hold hearings on broadband access by the disability community

8/13/09 (FCC National Broadband Plan Staff Workshop on Disability)

Initiate NPRM based on Access Board’s rules refreshing Section 508 and Section 255

Date should be based on Access Board timeline when approved by staff

Establish Advisory Committee to establish an accessibility clearinghouse

 2/17/2013 (per TIA three-year Roadmap)

Extend and make permanent the RHCPP (WC Docket No. 02-60)

6/30/2010 (RHCPP funding expiration date)

Establish a program for remote patient services, which would include funding for wireless devices, under the RHCPP

 2/17/2013 (per TIA three-year Roadmap)

4. Look at Foreign Markets to Inform the National Broadband Plan and
to Promote Open and Fair Market Access for Broadband Companies

Implement information from Form 477 into National Broadband Plan

03/01/2010 (Form 477 is due to the FCC on or before this date)

Hold hearing on international broadband strategies

8/18/2009 (FCC National Broadband Plan Staff Workshop on International Broadband)

5. Support Policies Promoting Research and Development in the Communications Space

Address research and development in the communications space at FCC National Broadband Plan Staff Workshops

9/03/2009 (Conclusions of FCC National Broadband Plan Staff Workshops)

6. Promote the Development of a Broadband Interoperable Public Safety
Network Capable of Protecting All Communities

Resolve issues of viability of a public-private interoperable broadband public safety network and promulgate auction rules for the D Block, thereby creating an interoperable public safety network by 2025.  (WT Docket No. 06-150)

12/31/2009 (allowing for the 15 years the FCC estimated it would take to build out an interoperable public safety communications network)

 

© 2010 Telecommunications Industry Association. All rights reserved.