FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski took the stage at CTIA this morning to help sell his plan for mobile broadband, amid a period of increasing scrutiny and regulation of the wireless industry. Genachowski opened up his keynote up by commending AT&T’s decision yesterday to reverse its policies on allowing VoIP over its wireless network and Verizon’s partnership with Google (NSDQ: GOOG) to roll-out phones using Android. “Mobile has gone from a futurist’s fantasy to a nice to have part of company’s game plan to a must-have strategic priority. You turned clunky handsets into sleek devices, you’ve made the internet mobile, by freeing broadband from the desktop, and making it available to anyone, anywhere, anytime (unless you are driving).”
As chairman, he said he has four top priorities: increasing the amount of spectrum available for 4G; removing delays to building 4G, including getting faster approval for building cell sites; keeping the internet open, “while recognizing the differences in wired and wireless technologies”; and fostering competition. Despite the wireless industry’s tendency to dislike more regulation, he pleads: “We want you to be engaged, we need you to be engaged.”
The Chairman’s biggest concerns are the roll out of 4G and getting more spectrum out to deliver those services. “The biggest threat to mobile in America is the looming spectrum crisis,” he said. “What happens when everyone has an iPhone, Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre or BlackBerry Tour, or whatever is the next smartphone device. The short answer is that we will need a lot more spectrum.”
However, Genachowski received his only applause after saying he was going to speed up the approval for cell sites, which can often be one of the biggest problems when rolling out new services.
Next on stage was AT&T’s Ralph de la Vega, who represented the wireless industry’s side of the debate. De la Vega provided a ton of information on how the U.S. has the most vibrant and competitive market. He said that the wireless industry requires a ton of investment. and that U.S. carriers have invested $264 billion since 1985, including $120 billion in the past five years, and $20 billion in the past year alone. Ironically, de la Vega’s only applause came when he mentioned yesterday’s announcement that the carrier will permit VoIP over its network. de la vega: “We lead the world in 3G subscribers, and we have the most efficient use of spectrum in the world. Our virtuous cycle of innovation is working and we want the cycle to be as vibrant in the future as it is today. Before we change the cycle, we have to be aware that there’s no need to burden the mobile internet with regulations. It could have unforeseen consequences for jobs, and how we price our service…We believe in an open internet and a mobile internet that is free of regulation. We want to be part of constructive dialogue. Our strongest belief that consumers will access value and they will pick the winners and losers. The wireless industry is strong, thriving, innovative and open. Let

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