CCA Mobile Carriers Show
Competitive Carriers Association President/CEO Steve Berry ticked off a list of issues the organization is lobbying the FCC and Congress about on behalf of its members, as he began the Keynote sessions of the 2018 Mobile Carriers Show yesterday. At the top of the list, were the Mobility Fund Phase II eligibility map concerns.
He told show attendees in Las Vegas, the FCC’s broadband coverage map is so inaccurate, “that a challenge process may not be enough to correct the process. This is extremely concerning. If there is no challenge,” areas mislabeled on the map “will not be eligible for funds for the next decade.”
Regarding the FCC’s proposal to secure U.S. communications from overseas companies that could pose a national security threat to our communications networks, Berry had to walk a delicate line. The federal government and Congress are especially concerned that Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE could potentially use their equipment in carrier networks to spy on Americans. They’ve both denied that.
Logos for Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE, as sponsors of the event, were among several displayed behind Berry as he spoke and representatives from both companies also spoke on session panels. “We’re all concerned about securing our national security. We strongly support using every means” such as working with the White House, Congress, the FCC and other federal agencies “and others to achieve a comprehensive result.”
And of the broadcast repack, Berry said it, “has to happen as quickly as possible” so CCA member carriers can deploy services on the 600 MHz spectrum. Eighty percent of the incentive auction winners were CCA members, he noted. CCA is working with the FCC to ensure the process of moving broadcasters off the 600 MHz spectrum “adheres to the 39-month timeframe.”
March 30, 2018
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