For Better Mobile Broadband, the U.S. Needs More Spectrum

A 2009 report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) notes that the spectrum currently assigned for commercial use in the U.S. is 409.5 MHz, more than what's allocated for such use in any of the other top 10 OECD countries. However, the U.S. ranks second when it comes to the number of people served by each MHz, at just 660,073. Mexico is the most efficient user of spectrum, providing service to 661,666 people per MHz, while Germany ranks third, at 350,819 people. The International Telecommunications Union estimates that the U.S. needs to have 800 MHz available for mobile voice and data by 2010. Guttman-McCabe, vice president of regulatory affairs at CTIA (a trade group that represents the wireless industry), notes that it took about 10 years to get the 700 MHz spectrum auctioned off from the time it was identified. That spectrum is the basis for the upcoming fourth-generation long term evolution wireless networks from Verizon and AT&T. He says that we currently have just 50 Mhz in the pipeline for future use. So while there's debate among folks about what spectrum should be licensed and what should be unlicensed, and questions over whether new spectrum should go to the incumbents, there's notable agreement over the need to get more highway lanes built for mobile broadband.