August 29 2011, BELLEVUE, Wash. – “Network capacity constraints for mobile service providers throughout the Americas, and particularly in the U.S., will soon affect their ability to offer more advanced services unless governments make more spectrum available,” said Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. “Additionally, smartphone and tablet sales are exploding and mobile data usage rates are skyrocketing—fueling the absolute need for more spectrum—without which the U.S. could lose its current leadership role in the mobile technology communications industry.”

North, Central and South America have over three quarters of a billion mobile cellular subscriptions, and service providers are operating their networks at close to their capacity. According to a July report from Credit Suisse, wireless networks in the U.S. are already operating at 80 percent of total capacity and in Latin America networks are at 75 percent of total capacity. Average peak utilization rates worldwide are at 65 percent, according to the report. With smartphone sales and mobile broadband usage metrics in the U.S. among the highest in the world, data traffic is continuing growth at a steep rate and Cisco (Virtual Networking Index) projects that wireless data traffic in North America will grow 20 times from 2010 to 2015. Without more internationally harmonized spectrum brought to market, mobile broadband leadership in the U.S. will be seriously challenged and the same challenge faces the entire Americas region.

Chris Pearson commented, “FCC Chairman Genachowski has noted that spectrum is the oxygen that allows mobile innovation to breathe. For the U.S. to continue to be a leader in the mobile broadband world, vast amounts of new internationally-harmonized spectrum below 3 GHz are needed -- and soon.”

Pearson will deliver a keynote presentation at The Americas Spectrum Management Conference to be held on October 19-20, 2011, in Washington, D.C., which will provide some insight to the spectrum crunch, including the following key principles:
1. Well-considered spectrum allocation policies are imperative;
2. Market-oriented spectrum assignment approaches work; and
3. There is no time to lose as spectrum allocations take years to effectuate.
Pearson will compare and contrast the spectrum situation in the Americas with Europe and other parts of the world.

4G Americas has repeatedly urged the U.S. Government to reallocate 1755-1780 MHz and pair it with 2155-2180 MHz, explaining that this paired, internationally-harmonized spectrum offers the best opportunity in the short term for meeting our country’s growing mobile broadband appetite. Additionally, 4G Americas supports giving the FCC the authority for voluntary incentive auctions for the underutilized broadcast spectrum.

Dan Craft, Director of Forum-Global, the organizer of the conference commented, “Understanding the great need for solutions in spectrum allocations, Forum-Global initiated the conference to bring together leaders in the Americas region and worldwide to look ahead to key issues to be considered at WRC-12, as well as discussing the possible scope and benefits of deepening coordination of spectrum policy across the Americas. 4G Americas will lend their important expertise to this discussion and we are honored by their endorsement and participation.”

Earlier this year, 4G Americas published a white paper, titled, Sustaining the Mobile Miracle: A 4G Americas Blueprint for Securing Mobile Broadband Spectrum in this Decade, that focuses on strategies and policies addressing the need for additional spectrum for mobile broadband services and provides a guide for securing a bright mobile broadband future to serve society’s wireless and technology needs. The white paper is available for free download on the organization’s website.

“4G Americas is pleased to participate with Industry Canada, CITEL, the FCC, the ITU, the EU and other government organizations in addressing critical concerns for spectrum at this inaugural conference,” Pearson stated. “North, Central and South America should all be assessing the positive economic impact of bringing new spectrum to the marketplace. There are various challenges and opportunities depending on countries’ previous spectrum policies, however, the benefits can boost economies and better serve citizens.”