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PCCA Journal|4

th

Quarter 2014

20

Telecom News

Continued from page 19

also inform the FCC’s efforts to ensure

that consumers everywhere can benefit

from the sweeping technological advanc-

es occurring now in the communications

industry, while preserving consumer pro-

tection, competition, universal service,

and access to emergency services during

these transitions.

The FCC said that bidders included

a diverse group of entities, including

competitive providers, electric utilities,

wireless internet service providers, and

others.

The $100 million available for the

experiments is divided into three groups:

• $75 million to test competitive interest

in building networks that are capable

of delivering 100 Mbps downloads

and 25 Mbps uploads—far in excess

of the current Connect America Fund

standard of 4/1—for the same or

lower amounts of support than will be

offered to incumbent carriers in Phase

II of Connect America

• $15 million to test interest in deliver-

ing service at 10/1 speeds in high-cost

areas

• $10 million for 10/1 service in areas

that are extremely costly to serve.

i

Pass Inc., the world’s largest

commercial Wi-Fi network, has

revealed the results of in-depth

research into global public Wi-Fi

hotspot deployments through its Wi-Fi

growth map. The data, from analysts

Maravedis Rethink, shows there will

be 47.7 million public Wi-Fi hotspots

deployed worldwide by the end of 2014.

The map shows that over the next four

years, global hotspot numbers will grow

to more than 340 million, nearly one

Wi-Fi hotspot for every twenty people on

earth by 2018. This compares to one Wi-

Fi hotspot for every 150 people today.

Further Wi-Fi growth map highlights

include:

• France is the “country of Wi-Fi” in

2014 with the most hotspots in total,

followed by the U.S. and the UK. By

2018 this will change to the U.S., fol-

lowed by China and France.

• Europe is the “continent of Wi-Fi”

with 50 percent of the world’s Wi-Fi

estate in 2014. By 2018, Asia will strip

Europe of this title. 

• Today, China has five times more com-

mercial Wi-Fi hotspots than any other

country.

• Community Wi-Fi has been driven by

Europe and then North America, but

Asia will catch up in 2018.

• 22.7 million Wi-Fi hotspots are en-

abled for roaming between different

provider networks today; this number

rises to 289.3 million in 2018.

“Over the last few years we’ve seen

the emergence of the ‘Wi-Fi first’ genera-

tion. Wi-Fi has become cool again; in

fact it’s seen by most as an essential util-

ity, just like water or electricity,” iPass

FCC Boosts Wireless Broadband by

Easing Infrastructure Burdens

T

he Federal Communications Commission on

October 17 adopted a Report and Order that takes

critical steps to promote deployment of the wire-

less infrastructure necessary to provide the public

with ubiquitous, advanced wireless broadband services.

This FCC action updates and tailors the manner in which

the FCC evaluates the impact of proposed deployments on

environment and historic properties. It also adopts rules to

clarify and implement statutory limitations on state and local

government authority to review infrastructure siting applica-

tions, including a “deemed granted” remedy if a state or local

government fails to act on an eligible facilities modification

request under Section 6409(a) of the Spectrum Act. Finally, it

adopts an exemption from the environmental public notifica-

tion process for “temporary towers” that are in place only for

short periods of time.

Taken together, these steps lay the groundwork necessary

for delivering more wireless capacity in more locations to

consumers throughout the United States. At the same time,

the FCC said, it adheres to statutory obligations to protect

the environment and historic properties, and it safeguards

tribal, state, and local land-use priorities as well as safety and

aesthetic interests.

Study Shows One Public Hotspot

for Every 20 People on Earth by 2018