Re: 5G is a Game ChangerAnd there is a big difference between what is written in the link and what happens with POTS.
If the link was a true Universal Services as defined by the Telecom Act of 1934 ALL homes in the US would have DSL at the time they were built. For existiing homes, DSL would need to be available by law.
What they are talking about in the document is the equivalent of High Cost Loop Support + USF Loans/Grants can be used to buy broadband equipment. But it is NOT a universal service in that it is a MANDATORY service.
The digital divide is a Universal Service problem. And it was not extended to Broadband in 96. If it was, then DSL would be mandatory and it is optional. I was one of the first DSL customers in Pacbell (when they actually deployed a Splitter in the NID) and that was 99.
We spend a lot of time mixing up Universal Service and Net Neutrality. In theory, Net Neutrality applies to dial-up Internet.
Wireless is even less mandatory. There is no requirement at all that Wireless be deployed. If you wanted to make Wireless a Universal Service, you would have to change the rules for deployment and create the equivalent of a Carrier of Last Resort. You would then have to organize a minimum signal strength across the geography from that Carrier. There would have to be a quid pro quo for that kind of deployment - a guaranteed ROI on the deployment (which is what happened in the phone network for about 50 years). Otherwise it will all be business case based, which perpetuates the divide that you talk about.
This would also upset the spectrum discussion as the spectrum to provide a Universal Service would come first and be consistently available.
Re: 5G is a Game ChangerI'm not saying that Americans won't have less universal access (Universal Service under the 1934 act, expanded to high-speed Internet connection in the '96 act) though. Some Americans will access to faster mobile connnections for a time, maybe a very long time, but that was true under 4G too.
I'm saying that this is likely to exacerbate a rural vs. urban digital divide, which is likely true on a global scale too, but that's another blog. I'm also saying that there applications coming (IoT, connected cars) that would require a 5G connection and that will further increase digital divides, possibly in material ways, since businesses that are in coverage areas will have an advantage over those that aren't.
I'm not sure how the FCC would even deeal with that under Universal Service rules, since they are based on a world that assumes a phone line into every home. This is so much more difficult to quantify than that.
I suspect the only way to do it *maybe* would be to build a use it or lose it clause into the mmWave band spectrum auctions. But since we don't even have a time line for them yet who knows about that?
Re: 5G is a Game ChangerYou are mixing up Net Neutrality with Universal Access.
Net Neutrality is the fair division/lack of blocking for whatever access is available.
Universal Access is the prinicpal that everyone should have access to services.
These are not the same. The arguments about content bundling is where their might be Net Neutrality issues. Might not is. To me Universal Access is a much bigger problem. The challenges around Net Neutrality are theoretical. The ones for Universal Access are well known.
I would really like to make sure that a respected website like Light Reading would make clear the difference.
Re: 5G is a Game ChangerThe argument on speeds as the relate to self-driving cars just proves there are bigger issues in infrastructure. This is why I think we're going to be driving cars in more rural areas more often than people think. There's a lot of road out there.
5G is a Game Changer5G is like The Road Warriors during the mid 80's hitting the Tag Team Circuit. They changed the game and brought along The Midnight Express, The Powers of Pain, Demolition, Rock and Roll Express etc...5G will trully be a game changer and will elevate services across playing field.
If the link was a true Universal Services as defined by the Telecom Act of 1934 ALL homes in the US would have DSL at the time they were built. For existiing homes, DSL would need to be available by law.
What they are talking about in the document is the equivalent of High Cost Loop Support + USF Loans/Grants can be used to buy broadband equipment. But it is NOT a universal service in that it is a MANDATORY service.
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