CTIA's CEO Steve Largent issued a "virtuous" statement in response to the FCC. He says more spectrum is needed for a "virtuous cycle" and to meet the demands of the U.S. market. He requested the 800 MHz and other available spectrum
"As
the Chairman and other FCC Commissioners understand, spectrum is our
industry's backbone and is what encourages innovation and competition. "
"In order to facilitate the 'virtuous cycle' of the industry, more spectrum must
be made available. As spectrum is brought to market, the virtuous cycle
begins, as networks are upgraded to add capacity and greater
capabilities, handsets are then developed to take advantage of next
generation networks, application and content developers then create new
content to take advantage of new handset capabilities, and ultimately,
consumers demand more. It's a cycle that never ends as long as spectrum
is available.
"The U.S. is the most efficient users of
commercial spectrum in the world. But as the Chairman has recognized,
the industry needs access to more spectrum so we can continue to meet
the growing consumer demand - whether it's for personal reasons such as
mHealth or for environmental reasons such as smart grids. Other
countries around the world have recognized the need to facilitate this
virtuous cycle and have identified hundreds of megahertz of spectrum to
reallocate for licensed commercial use.
"In this filing, we
are asking the FCC to work with the Federal government to immediately
begin to identify and allocate up to 800 MHz of additional spectrum
over the next six years. We also have requested policymakers to meet
short-term spectrum needs by pairing and allocating readily-available
spectrum.
"We are proud that the mobile wireless industry is
providing broadband access where you want it, when you want it, but we
are facing a perfect storm where demand may outpace supply. By
allocating and assigning more spectrum, the federal government will
encourage continued innovation and competition within the industry and
ensure our continued economic investment and impact."