The Impact of Convergence on the Communications Sector
World Electronics ForumSeptember 14-16, 2005
London, UK
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Presentation Overview
TIA Overview Policy Issues– U.S.-Specific Challenges– Regulation– Investment and Competition– Spectrum
Conclusions / Possible WEF Action?
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TIA Overview
Trade organization serving the communications and information technology industry
Three primary activities:– Domestic and international advocacy– Trade shows and marketing support– Standards Development Organization
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U.S.-Specific Challenges
1996 Telecommunications Act– Technological change surpassing the 1996 Act– Law is unable to cope with an IP-based world– No easy solution
• Multiple legislative fixes?
• Eliminate technology “silos”?
• Focus on service definitions?
Universal Service Fund
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Regulation
Challenges are regulatory more than technological
TIA supports competition among multiple platforms for delivery
Regulators may need to focus on service definitions rather than platforms of delivery or technology
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Regulation
The regulatory structure must be able to cope with rapid innovation in an IP-based world
Consumers should be free to choose both the service and the service provider
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Regulation
Regulation should be– Used only where absolutely necessary– Light-handed– Narrowly focused– At the national level– Uniform– Technology-neutral
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Investment and Competition
Onerous regulation will stifle investment
Regulatory uncertainty will also stifle investment– Example = last mile issue in the United
States– Triennial Review decisions on broadband
triggered billions of dollars in investment
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Investment and Competition
Next Generation Networks (NGN)– Reduce market entry costs– Increase flexibility– Enhance competition
• Any network will provide any service to any device
• Competing infrastructures can offer the same types of service
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Spectrum
Need flexible, market-driven spectrum policies
Need technology neutrality Need to continue to find more
spectrum where possible– In the U.S., it is critical to release analog
TV spectrum for other uses– Need hard date for digital TV transition
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Conclusions (1) Technology and NGN work
continues to advance rapidly– Multiple platforms– Innovative services– Increased competition
An entirely new regulatory mindset must be created
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Conclusions (2) Industry must work with regulators (and
consumers) Industry and government should strive
to agree to common principles Regulatory policies – last-mile access,
spectrum have the potential to chill investment
WEF members must continue to work together on these issues
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