A Return to Permission-Less Innovation

The latest chapter of the Wi-Fi vs. LTE-U saga unfolded this month as the Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA) announced that, after many months, it was finally closing in on an approved LTE-U coexistence test plan but surprised everyone by suggesting that the test plan should also include LTE-LAA. To understand why this is so aggravating, we need to take a little trip in the not-so-way-back machine.

Let me be clear on one point – AT&T has no interest in undermining the vibrant Wi-Fi ecosystem that exists today. Well over 100 million devices connect to our network and the vast majority of those devices include a Wi-Fi client. But with LTE-LAA, the “mother-may-I” paradigm must be rejected so the wireless industry can move forward. Make no mistake, the rest of the world is not waiting for permission – Deutsche Telecom conducted the first LTE-LAA over-the-air trials last November in Germany. With LTE-LAA, the asserted objections to LTE-U have been fully addressed. Any pending or future application for equipment authorization for a LTE-LAA device that otherwise meets the Part 15 requirements should be granted in normal course. Any other result could do permanent damage to the incredibly successful Part 15 paradigm, result in the U.S. falling behind the world in the development of LTE unlicensed technologies and deny American consumers important advancements in mobile broadband.