Martin: Broadband Wireless Must Be on ‘Same Footing’

MARTIN: BROADBAND WIRELESS MUST BE ON 'SAME FOOTING'
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Todd Spangler]
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin, speaking at the CTIA Wireless 2007 conference in Orlando, said broadband-wireless services need to be "on the same footing" as wired high-speed-Internet services from cable and telephone companies. "It’s going to be important for consumers to develop that third broadband pipe as a competitor to DSL [digital subscriber line] and cable," he added. Chairman Martin pointed to the FCC’s ruling issued last week, which declared that wireless-broadband Internet-access service will be treated as an information service under the Communications Act of 1934. The ruling, released March 23, means broadband-wireless services will be regulated the same way cable’s high-speed services are, rather than as traditional telecommunications services. Chairman Martin said it was "critical" that broadband-wireless services receive "the same lighter regulatory treatment as other information services. It was important to put broadband wireless on the same footing as cable and DSL." That’s especially key, he added, as the FCC prepares for the auction later this year of a huge chunk of wireless spectrum, reclaimed from TV broadcasters as they move to government-mandated digital transmissions.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6428126.html?display=Breaking+News

* FCC chief: Wireless key to universal access
Martin wants wireless Internet access to be included in efforts to ensure universal communications for all U.S. residents.
http://www.iphone2die4.com/post/1506/