Contact Information: Contact Forbes Mercy WISPA Director WISPA PO Box 1582 Mt. Vernon, IL 62864 Ph: 509-307-7777
WISPA Meets With FCC to Discuss the National Broadband Plan for Internet Access
WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - January 21, 2010) - WISPA, the Wireless Internet Service Providers
Association, met with FCC Staff on January 13 to discuss key elements of
the upcoming National Broadband
Plan. WISPA is the trade organization representing the interests of
fixed wireless broadband service providers in the U.S. In many communities,
fixed wireless ISPs (WISPs) are the only source of broadband Internet
access for homes and small businesses. In many rural communities, no fixed
broadband service of any kind is available today. WISPs are working to
bridge this "digital divide" by building fixed wireless networks and making
broadband available to all Americans. The FCC's National Broadband Plan
will serve as a guide to provide "broadband for all" and will be delivered
to Congress on March 17th.
Clean and Affordable Spectrum with Practical Operating Rules Needed
WISPA discussed the need for clean spectrum, "licensed-lite" operating
rules, lower "middle-mile" costs and access to government towers, rooftops
and utility poles. Clean spectrum -- wireless frequencies that are not
shared with home WiFi devices, allows wireless broadband to be delivered
without interference. "Licensed-lite" operating rules help WISPs access and
use clean spectrum without having to spend billions of dollars buying
spectrum in government auctions. Because many WISPs are small,
community-based companies, access to clean spectrum must be affordable.
Affordable Middle-Mile Backhaul Costs
The high cost of connecting a rural community back to the Internet backbone
in a larger city is a main reason that many small towns have no broadband Internet access today.
These middle-mile "backhaul" Internet connections must run over either a
fiber-optic cable network or over a microwave radio network. Both fiber
and microwave networks are expensive to build and maintain. WISPA asked
the FCC to help lower backhaul costs by recommending that they be allowed
to use government radio towers and rooftops to build microwave networks.
WISPs also need affordable access to utility poles to install fiber optic
cable networks.
Richard Harnish, WISPA President, said, "We appreciated this opportunity to
talk with the FCC. Everyone should be able to access broadband so they can
do their banking from home or study and attend class from home or use the
Internet to operate a home-based business. We believe that supporting rural
economies and ending the rural 'brain drain' by helping young adults remain
in their communities are compelling reasons to bring broadband service to
all Americans. We look forward to seeing the FCC's National Broadband Plan
on March 17th."
For more information, see www.wispa.org.