For 10 years now, Inside Towers has provided in-depth coverage of the wireless industry. And what a decade it has been—not just for our industry but for the world—as a result of the growth and innovation in our space.
Ten years ago, we were just beginning to feel the full impact of the 4G revolution. Our industry was hard at work upgrading networks to allow for faster data speeds and lower latency, and consumer communications technology responded to the new reality of the mobile internet we were creating.
Within a few short years, the wireless industry’s 4G deployment paved the way for the app revolution, bringing high-resolution video streaming and social media from the desktop to the consumer’s hand. Innovations like Apple’s FaceTime used 4G’s faster speeds and lower latency to connect users using real-time video calling. In 2013, Google Maps was the world’s most popular smartphone app. And Uber, a once little-known tech company in San Francisco, became the world’s most valuable startup in 2015, transforming how we travel and commute—all thanks to the networks our industry deployed.
As we reflect on the past 10 years of technological transformation that followed the deployment of 4G, one thing becomes clear: when we build the best next-generation networks in the world, innovation follows.
But our success was not accidental. The availability of significant amounts of new spectrum for commercial use and the implementation of colocation by right and additional streamlining at the FCC paved the way for rapid network expansion. With the right combination of smart permitting policies, spectrum availability, and historic investment by the wireless industry, we were able to build 4G networks that revolutionized the way Americans connect, travel, and do business.
Now, we are building the 5G networks that are launching a new era of innovation, one that is just beginning to materialize and offers as much or more promise than the 4G revolution that preceded it.
It will take time for innovators and transformative applications to fully utilize these networks, as is always the case with a new generation of wireless technology. But, as one wireless carrier executive recently put it, the network IS the killer app. And with those networks, massive innovation will come. It always does.
I am bullish about our 5G future because the past 10 years prove what our industry can accomplish when we all—investors, network builders and providers, and government—work together towards a shared goal. That is why WIA is hard at work advocating for the people and companies building and deploying the infrastructure for a more connected future.
Congratulations to Inside Towers for 10 years of delivering the level of coverage this industry demands. I’m eager to see what we can accomplish in the next 10 years and to read about it in Inside Towers every step of the way.
By Patrick Halley, CEO and President of the Wireless Infrastructure Association
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