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Google is the real WiMAX news
Google + 700 Mhz + FCC regs = the real WiMAX news
On July 10, 2007, FCC Chairman Martin proposed
that winners of spectrum in the upcoming 700 MHz auction make their services
what I will call "CPE agnostic". That is, the broadcaster puts up a 700 MHz
WiMAX base station and that base station must do business with any compatible
device operated by any one wiling to pay for the service.
This is truly seismic news where a regulatory agency long accused of coziness
with industry giants (potentially) orders network openness in terms of devices.
This is a huge break from the cell phone centric dance being played out so far
in the WiMAX industry where the service provider dictates what access devices
the subscriber must use. The New York Times on July 21 reported Google has been
lobbying the FCC hard for the openness rules.
While Google is not expected to build and operate a WiMAX network themselves,
the 600-pound gorilla would profit from their portal-like services (including
VoIP) being the first thing the user saw when activating their 700 MHz WiMAX
subscriber device. Any operator partnering with Google would have to build to
please Google. Just as cellular service is based on the application (circuit
switched voice done on a PSTN switch) and not the physical layer access
(wireless), Google services just might be the most powerful driver for 700 MHz
WiMAX services based on an open architecture, internet-centric business model
(horizontally organized as opposed to a 19th century vertical organization a la
cell phone structure).
The Google/700 MHz/open access device model could start many new businesses and
create so many new jobs relative to the Sprint Nextel cell phone-type play. This
could be a huge economic engine and might generate a groundswell of popularity
in both economic and regulatory terms.
Frank Ohrtman
WMX Systems
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tags:
Google and Sprint WiMAX