4-16-2012
As innovation and new technology enters the marketplace at warp speed, it?s obvious FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski wants to be at the helm of an FCC known for being out front of all these changes. The chairman spoke to the National Association of Broadcasters Monday afternoon in Las Vegas and focused on the explosive growth of new technology. His speeches consistently mention the need to remove barriers for advancing technologies and speeding up how Americans consume and receive data. He's also very aggressive on meeting the demand being placed on spectrum space as those consumers try to squeeze more and more of that data through an information Superhighway running out of lanes.
Genachowski delivers his speeches, not from a teleprompter, but from an iPad (unknown if it?s the newest version). He quotes online useage growth many broadcasters see before their very eyes on a daily basis. And, he commends broadcasters as they increase their share of online revenue. After the facts, figures and accolades, he hits on one of his main issues, the spectrum crunch.
?You?ve heard me talk about the spectrum crunch before, and, over the past 12 months, evidence that the crunch is coming has only continued to mount. Since the last NAB show, the number of active mobile phones in this country passed the number of people. The percentage of cell phone owners with smartphones passed the 50% barrier, up from about 25% a year ago."
Genachowski says with the quick adaptation of the tablet, more pressure will be put on the spectrum. "The growth of the tablet market continues to exceed even the most optimistic forecasts. In 2010, it was a big deal when Apple sold 1 million iPads in 28 days. The new iPad passed that milestone in less than 28 hours. And Amazon sold more than 4 million Kindle Fires during the holiday season. In 2011 wireless data traffic increased over 120% over the year before. Failure to meet this growing demand for spectrum could stifle the vast opportunities of mobile broadband. The world is changing, and stations that have been investing in online and other digital platforms are seeing accelerating usage and revenues. With Wi-Fi and the next generation of mobile broadband networks, the new expectation and the new norm is quickly becoming: the content you want, where you want it, and when you want it, accompanied by the full suite of interactive services.?
The FCC is in the process of implementing a recently passed law that calls for a voluntary auction of spectrum space on the TV side. Genachowski's speech was a little light on radio issues, however, many would say that?s a good thing. Genachowski did not stick around for any questions following his speech.
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