AT&T: Mobile broadband has potential to fundamentally restructure Americans' lives and work

Mobile broadband has the potential to fundamentally restructure the way that all Americans live and work. But, as recognized by the Federal Communications Commission and by commenters alike, access to new radio spectrum is the oxygen of wireless networks, and the failure to adequately plan for demand could choke development, innovation and competition. AT&T urges the FCC to act promptly and ensure that spectrum is available to support the demands of tomorrow's mobile networks. Virtually all commenters in this proceeding recognized the need to allocate additional spectrum for mobile use in view of the meteoric rise in data demands. The record also generally reflects that existing network operators are extremely efficient spectrum users, and that the burgeoning demand for data cannot be accommodated through network investment alone. In such regards, the priority should be the identification and reallocation of spectrum for licensed radio services, which are the only networks capable of meeting the quality and throughput demands of subscribers on a wide area basis.