The resistance to LTE-Unlicensed technology moving into unlicensed spectrum, currently occupied by Wi-Fi, has been resounding so far throughout the cable industry.
But it’s still rare to hear about the kind of who’s who that turned up in FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s office to discuss the potential adverse effects LTE-U could have on critical Wi-Fi operations.
According to an ex parte filing, Wheeler and his legal advisors last week met with Bruce McClelland, President, Network, Cloud and Global Services, ARRIS Group; Nomi Bergman, President, Bright House Networks; Nelson Sollenberger, Vice President and Chief Technologist, Broadcom; Ralph Brown, Chief Technology Officer, CableLabs; David Dibble, Chief Technology Officer, Cablevision Systems; Michael Olsen, Senior Vice President, Legal Legislative & Regulatory Affairs, Cablevision Systems; Jay Rolls, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Charter Communications; Tony Werner, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Comcast; David Don, Vice President, Comcast; Alan Norman, Principal, Access Strategy, Google; Dayne Sampson, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft; Paula Boyd, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs, Microsoft; Dave Wright, Advanced Technologist, Ruckus Wireless; Hamid Heidary, Chief Technology Officer, Time Warner Cable; and Paul Margie, Harris, Wiltshire and Grannis.
Once they figured out how to fit everyone into one room, the group of representatives from major cable operators and technology companies explained that they’re not specifically opposed to LTE in unlicensed bands but that LTE-U has skipped over standards-setting processes and therefore could degrade consumer Wi-Fi service.
“The path forward to support innovation, protect consumers, and avoid new regulations is for the advocates of using LTE in unlicensed bands to work through internationally recognized, open, and transparent standards-setting organizations to develop standards and corresponding test procedures that can be used to adequately characterize and verify coexistence behavior,” the group wrote in a filing.
Those views stand in contrast to LTE-U advocacy from wireless providers like T-Mobile and Verizon, technology companies like Qualcomm and Ericsson, and industry groups like CTIA.
The companies moving forward with development of LTE-U claim the technology has adequate politeness and sharing features built in so it won’t disrupt Wi-Fi and other current unlicensed technologies in operation.
