CTIA-The Wireless Association® Statement on the FCC's May Open Meeting on the Spectrum Incentive Auction Report & Order and Net Neutrality NPRM

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May 15, 2014, 12:35 ET

WASHINGTON, May 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- After the FCC's May Open Meeting, please attribute the following statement to CTIA-The Wireless Association® President and CEO Steve Largent:

"CTIA commends FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, the Commissioners and the Incentive Auction Taskforce for their leadership in shepherding this Order that represents a significant step toward implementing a 'win-win' for consumers and the U.S. economy. This historic effort has the potential to unleash vital spectrum to meet ever-increasing consumer demand for mobile broadband services, spur investment and innovation and maintain our global leadership in mobile broadband. As a result of the Commission's and Congress' hard work, American consumers and businesses will benefit from a new generation of wireless services and offerings built on the foundation of new mobile broadband spectrum. We look forward to working closely with the FCC Commissioners and staff to resolve outstanding issues well in advance of the incentive auction so that this first of its kind auction occurs by mid-2015.

"CTIA's members remain committed to an open Internet and a vibrant wireless ecosystem because that's what consumers want. The U.S. wireless industry leads the world in mobile broadband and in next-generation networks, LTE subscribers and the app economy, and American consumers are experiencing huge benefits. The defining characteristics of wireless broadband are that it is fast-evolving, still-developing, and robustly competitive, and we urge policymakers to not impede the wireless industry's virtuous cycle of investment and innovation.

"As we've said before, wireless remains inherently different from other forms of broadband, whether considering that spectrum needed to fuel wireless broadband is finite, the additional network management required to provide a high quality experience in a mobile environment or the numerous competitive choices available for mobile broadband consumers. In fact, 98 percent of Americans have at least three or more providers to choose from. While we will carefully review the Commission's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, we are deeply concerned about proposals that would impose anachronistic Title II regulation on any broadband Internet access offerings. Rotary-phone era regulation has no place applying to next-generation, wireless broadband services and would deter investment in network infrastructure, inhibit innovation and undercut U.S. competitiveness, all to the detriment of American consumers."

CTIA-The Wireless Association® (www.ctia.org) is an international organization representing the wireless communications industry. Membership in the association includes wireless carriers and their suppliers, as well as providers and manufacturers of wireless data services and products. CTIA advocates on behalf of its members at all levels of government. The association also coordinates the industry's voluntary best practices and initiatives, and sponsors the industry's leading wireless tradeshows. CTIA was founded in 1984 and is based in Washington, D.C.

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