A group of carriers and mobile technology companies, including AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, have formed a coalition to get the word out about the consumer benefits of unlicensed spectrum and new technologies for unlicensed spectrum like LTE-Unlicensed (LTE-U) and Licensed Assisted Access (LAA).
The Competitive Carrier Association, CTIA and a number of technology companies like Alcatel-Lucent and Qualcomm are also getting in on the act.
The group, which has branded itself “EVOLVE”, promises to get its message across through a series of speaking engagements, dialogue with policymakers, and consumer education.
Operating LTE in unlicensed spectrum has been a contentious issue of late, as many say LTE could interere with Wi-Fi operations.
EVOLVE members say they support Wi-Fi and understand the important role it plays in meeting consumers’ broadband demands. But the group also contends that LTE-U and LAA were designed from the ground-up to operate cooperatively with Wi-Fi and other signals.
Kathleen Grillo, senior vice president of federal regulatory and legal affairs for Verizon, stressed in a statement that openness and cooperation will be essential to ultimately serve consumers.
“We look forward to continuing an open dialogue, sharing information and answering questions across the mobile community,” she said. “We know that by working together, the U.S. will remain a global technology leader for decades to come.”
In a separate statement, CTIA Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Tom Sawanobori said that LTE-U and LAA will substantially increase data speeds.
“The EVOLVE coalition believes regulators should reject calls to preemptively interfere with new technologies like LTE-U and LAA that enhance utilization of unlicensed spectrum,” Sawanobori said.
