The wireless industry has invested billions of dollars of private capital to enable the array of wireless services that we now take for granted. It makes Americans connected, safer and more efficient. The dramatic improvements in coverage, cost and range of capabilities from the beginning of cellular shows that this industry is committed to innovation and tirelessly working to improve the customer experience.
PCIA welcomes the Commission’s two Notices of Inquiry into innovation, investment and competition encompassed in the ecosystem of the wireless communications market. As the Commission states, wireless services in America are enormously important and successful. That success is a credit to the enormous financial investment and technical capability of the wireless industry. As the Commission further states, these factors have resulted in almost universal adoption of wireless services at lower rates than ever before. Today’s wireless industry features many carriers of all types offering consumers a wide variety of service options. There continue to be additional entrants competing with established service providers and increasing the choices to consumers.
We are pleased that the Commission is broadening its inquiries in an effort to ensure that its policies promote competition, innovation and investment in wireless services. We especially commend the Commission for its specific attention to the importance of wireless infrastructure and policies that facilitate it, given that this infrastructure is the key enabler of the industry.
One inalterable fact is that more wireless use requires more wireless infrastructure. We urge the Commission to take all steps within its power to ease the regulatory barriers to entry that delay or block wireless deployments. Doing so would ensure that the wireless networks will have the capacity to meet the ever-growing demands of the users, which will increase even more as a result of the innovation that the Commission plans to promote.
We look forward to working with the Commission to ensure a robust, innovative and competitive wireless market.
About PCIA
PCIA—The Wireless Infrastructure Association, is the principal trade association representing the companies that make up the wireless telecommunications infrastructure industry. PCIA’s members own and manage more than 125,000 telecommunications towers and antenna facilities throughout the world.
Contacts:
PCIA—The Wireless Infrastructure Association
Mike Saperstein,
703-535-7401
michael.saperstein@pcia.com