Close
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Menu
Search
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Networking
    • Small Business

    FCC Doesn’t Call Mobile Wireless Industry Competitive

    By
    Nathan Eddy
    -
    May 21, 2010
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      The Federal Communications Commission adopted its 14th annual report on the state of competition in the mobile wireless industry, omitting a statement that would have described the industry as effectively competitive. It is the first time since the FCC’s 2002 report that the commission has failed to describe the industry as competitive. Unlike previous reports, which examined competition in the provision of CMRS (Commercial Mobile Radio Services), this year’s report integrates CMRS into the broader mobile ecosystem, including mobile voice, messaging and broadband services.

      For the first time, the report also includes data on the many interrelated “upstream” and “downstream” market segments of the mobile ecosystem — including spectrum, infrastructure and devices — each of which has the potential to affect competition. The report, which reflects market conditions existing in 2008 and much of 2009, identifies key trends in the mobile wireless industry. The report found handset manufacturers have introduced a growing number of new smartphones — 67 in 2008 and 2009 — that provide mobile Internet access and other data services, and provide many of the functionalities of personal computers.

      Data traffic has grown significantly, with the increased adoption of smartphones and data consumption per device. Especially as mobile wireless broadband usage grows, access to spectrum becomes increasingly important for competition. While many wireless service providers have access to significant amounts of mobile spectrum, most of the spectrum below 1 GHz, in both the cellular band and the 700 MHz band, is not widely held, the report noted. The FCC also noted there appears to be increasing concentration in the mobile wireless market. One widely used measure of industry concentration indicates that concentration has increased 32 percent since 2003 and 6.5 percent in 2008.

      “In so many ways, this explosion of mobile innovation is great news for American consumers. Perhaps no sector of our economy holds more promise for 21st century U.S. leadership in innovation and investment than wireless broadband,” said FCC chairman Julius Genachowski. “The new trends do also present real challenges for busy American families when it comes to selecting the mix of mobile devices and services that matches their needs and budgets. Indeed, in difficult economic times such as these, the importance of empowering consumers and promoting competition is especially great.”

      The report also noted providers continue to invest “significant capital” in networks, despite the recent economic downturn. One source reports capital investment at around $25 billion in both 2005 and 2008, while another shows that capital investment declined from around $25 billion to around $20 billion during the same period. Because industry revenue has continued to grow, both sources show that capital investment has declined as a percentage of industry revenue over the same period (from 20 percent to 14 percent).

      Avatar
      Nathan Eddy
      A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Nathan was perviously the editor of gaming industry newsletter FierceGameBiz and has written for various consumer and tech publications including Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, CRN, and The Times of London. Currently based in Berlin, he released his first documentary film, The Absent Column, in 2013.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Why Data Security Will Face Even Harsher...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 1, 2020 0
      Who would know more about details of the hacking process than an actual former career hacker? And who wants to understand all they can...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      How Veritas Is Shining a Light Into...

      eWEEK EDITORS - September 25, 2020 0
      Protecting data has always been one of the most important tasks in all of IT, yet as more companies become data companies at the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      How NVIDIA A100 Station Brings Data Center...

      Zeus Kerravala - November 18, 2020 0
      There’s little debate that graphics processor unit manufacturer NVIDIA is the de facto standard when it comes to providing silicon to power machine learning...
      Read more
      Apple

      Why iPhone 12 Pro Makes Sense for...

      Wayne Rash - November 26, 2020 0
      If you’ve been watching the Apple commercials for the past three weeks, you already know what the company thinks will happen if you buy...
      Read more
      eWeek


      Contact Us | About | Sitemap

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      Terms of Service | Privacy Notice | Advertise | California - Do Not Sell My Information

      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×