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	<title>Communications Insights: Trends and Cool Stuff &#187; Cool Stuff</title>
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	<link>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff</link>
	<description>The Musings of an Expatriate in European Communications</description>
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		<title>Rethinking the White Spaces decision</title>
		<link>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/09/rethinking-the-white-spaces-decision/</link>
		<comments>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/09/rethinking-the-white-spaces-decision/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Sep 2010 18:33:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kenneth Carter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cool Stuff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TV White Spaces]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wireless Communications]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Broadband]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FCC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Part 15]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Policy Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spectrum]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/?p=223</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[At the FCC’s monthly agenda meeting it unanimously adopted its Second Memorandum Opinion and Order which will enable unlicensed operation in the TV White Spaces.  The Chairman and Commissioners almost universally stated that the Order would unleash a wave of innovation, broadband access, “Wi-Fi on steroids,” and other Really Cool Stuff What was universally not said was that broadcast TV and wireless microphones are not the future.  Granted, regulators want to provide regulatory certainty and are loathe to picking winners and losers; however, this glaring absence begs the question: if all of the innovation, job growth, and economic development will come from the unlicensed use of the White Spaces, why aren’t we protecting those uses?]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/09/rethinking-the-white-spaces-decision/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Back to the Future Station</title>
		<link>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/07/back-to-the-future-station/</link>
		<comments>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/07/back-to-the-future-station/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 31 Jul 2010 14:28:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kenneth Carter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cool Stuff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wireless Communications]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Japan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NTT DOCOMO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RCS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Really Cool Stuff!]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/?p=187</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On my recent business trip to Tokyo, I had the opportunity to have lunch with my good friend Hajime Kii and his family.  I know Kii-san when he was a senior executive at NTT America and I was working at CITI at Columbia University.  Kii-san was kind enough to arrange a visit to NTT DOCOMO’s Future Station while I was in town.  The Future Station is where DOCOMO presents a film showcasing its high-concept vision of its product and service offerings for the near-term future.  The Future Station is very cool.  Being there reminded me why I got into telecommunications in the first place – because tomorrow will always a brighter day with bigger (smaller), better, faster and Cooler Stuff.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/07/back-to-the-future-station/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Report from ITS</title>
		<link>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/07/report-from-its/</link>
		<comments>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/07/report-from-its/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Jul 2010 18:40:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kenneth Carter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cool Stuff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wireless Communications]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ITS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RCS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spectrum policy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/?p=181</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Every once and a while, one comes across something so trivial yet so flattering.  I was fortunate enough to attend the International Telecommunications Society 18th Biennial meeting in Tokyo last week.  I attended the panel on radio spectrum on the last day of the conference.  Two of the four papers presented on the spectrum panel were derived in some way from research I published in 2009.
 
I have been working in radio communications for nearly a decade.  It was so encouraging for me to see that my recent work is having such an important impact on the direction of current research.  If you work hard enough and long enough, you sometimes you earn bragging rights.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/07/report-from-its/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Twenty-Five Years of Unlicensed Spread Spectrum</title>
		<link>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/05/twenty-five-years-of-unlicensed-spread-spectrum/</link>
		<comments>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/05/twenty-five-years-of-unlicensed-spread-spectrum/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 May 2010 19:33:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kenneth Carter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cool Stuff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Optimal Regulation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wireless Communications]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FCC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Part 15]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spectrum policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unlicensed wireless devices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wi-Fi]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/?p=176</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today, the Wi-Fi Alliance and the Wireless Gigabit Alliance announced  an enhancement the current suite of 802.11 standards (Wi-Fi) which promises multi-gigabit wireless networking, in the 60 GHz frequency band.  However, I am not sure if the Wi-Fi Alliance or the Wireless Gigabit Alliance realize the auspiciousness of the occasion of their announcement.  The announcement comes twenty-five years and one day after the FCC adopted rules which permitted the operation of spread spectrum systems in the ISM bands (902-928 MHz, 2.4-2.48 GHz and 5.725-5.85 GHz).  This rule change enabled the commercial rise of Wi-Fi, as well as so many other products and technologies take for granted today, such as Bluetooth, cordless phones, and baby monitors.

The FCC took this decision on its own initiative, rather than relying on requests for rule changes from the industries it regulates.  In fact, many of the companies which initially opposed the rule change now earn millions of dollars of revenue from selling products that operate in these bands.  It never ceases to amaze me that a well-made decision can have exponential implications down the line.  Relying on the industry to tell the regulator can be helpful; however, this approach does not always serve the public interest.  In all instances, the regulator should exercise independent judgment.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/05/twenty-five-years-of-unlicensed-spread-spectrum/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The New Dutch Auction</title>
		<link>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/05/the-new-dutch-auction/</link>
		<comments>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/05/the-new-dutch-auction/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 May 2010 19:23:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kenneth Carter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cool Stuff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Optimal Regulation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wireless Communications]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Policy Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spectrum]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/?p=167</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A week ago, the Dutch telecommunications regulator Agentschap Telecom completed a spectrum auction for licenses in the 2.6 GHz band.  Five bidders spent just over €2.6 million to acquire 130 MHz of the 190 MHz in the band, but they did so in an unusual way.  Agentschap’s auction had two parts.  In the first part, bidders vied for a certain amount of spectrum.  In the second round, the bidders competed for specific 5 MHz blocks, with the option of single 5 MHz blocks of unpaired (TDD) spectrum or 2 x 5 MHz blocks of paired (FDD) spectrum.  This determined the pairing the band.  No FDD spectrum was acquired.

In this way, the auction determined whether the spectrum would be used for cellular type uses (FDD) or for WiMax-type uses (TDD). ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/05/the-new-dutch-auction/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>My iPhone vs. My iGo</title>
		<link>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/04/my-iphone-vs-my-igo/</link>
		<comments>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/04/my-iphone-vs-my-igo/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Apr 2010 19:59:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kenneth Carter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cool Stuff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pet Peeves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Apple]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bluetooth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iGo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iPhone]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/?p=160</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last week, I bought an iPhone.  I am impressed by what it can do.  I am, however, really annoyed by what I can’t do with it.  It is absurd that I cannot use my folding Bluetooth keyboard, a standardized peripheral with my own computing device.  I have been using Apple products since 1982, but now, I am not purchasing another Apple product until I can do something as simple as hook-up my own keyboard to it. ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/04/my-iphone-vs-my-igo/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Every Ash Cloud Has a Silver Lining (for some)</title>
		<link>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/04/every-ash-cloud-has-a-silver-lining/</link>
		<comments>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/04/every-ash-cloud-has-a-silver-lining/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 18 Apr 2010 14:14:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kenneth Carter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Broadband]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cool Stuff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eyjafjallajokull]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NGA. high-speed rail]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/?p=155</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Every Ash Cloud Has a Silver Lining (for some)
The eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano could be potentially damning for the airlines lines, but a boon to telecommunications infrastructure providers, video conferencing firms, and high speed rail which could see demand for their products and services take off.  The continued eruption of Eyjafjallajokull could provide the impetus for further investment in communications infrastructure and high-speed rail in Europe.  The downside of this fact for the US is that it will significantly harder to stay competitive in these crucial infrastructure areas.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/04/every-ash-cloud-has-a-silver-lining/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Wi-Fi? Wi-Not?</title>
		<link>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/02/wi-fi-wi-not/</link>
		<comments>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/02/wi-fi-wi-not/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:59:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kenneth Carter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Broadband]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cool Stuff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wireless Communications]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FCC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Part 15]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spectrum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TV White Spaces]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unlicensed wireless devices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wi-Fi]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/?p=135</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In the past several weeks, there have been several news articles and blog posts about congested mobile wireless networks and using Wi-Fi to alleviate that congestion.  This is a good idea; however, it is not a new one.  At a conference nearly eight years ago, I suggested that wireless carriers consider incorporating Wi-Fi into their networks.  Complementing existing 3G networks with Wi-Fi would increase carrier profitability. ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/02/wi-fi-wi-not/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Network Neutrality and the Samurai</title>
		<link>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/01/network-neutrality-and-the-samurai/</link>
		<comments>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/01/network-neutrality-and-the-samurai/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Jan 2010 12:24:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kenneth Carter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Broadband]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cool Stuff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Network Neutrality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Japan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Optimal level of regulation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/?p=128</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The sankin kōtai laws of the Tokugawa Shogunate imposed a rule of prioritization on the Tokaido and Nakaseido roads between Edō and Kyoto, as well as on other "kaido" emanating from the capital.  Access to Japanese roads was prioritized by social status, with only the Samurai class having access to the center of the road as their procession called a daimyo gyoretsu passed.   We think it is unfair to give preferential treatment to certain customers.  At the same time, we also think it is economically inefficient to mandate a single Internet access options for everyone, including those who are willing to pay more for premium services.  When the network (or Tokkaido Road) is congested, prioritization can make users better off.  Prioritization can be accomplished based on economic characteristics, arrival order, processing load, urgency, or even social status.

Since all messages on an IP-based network travel at the same speed (the speed of light), in discussions of Network Neutrality, it is never who gets to go faster, rather which packet, or which samurai, gets to go first.  Such prioritization must be done in a way which is socially permissible and economically desirable. ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2010/01/network-neutrality-and-the-samurai/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Next Generation Spectrum Regulation</title>
		<link>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2009/12/next-generation-spectrum-regulation/</link>
		<comments>http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/2009/12/next-generation-spectrum-regulation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:03:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kenneth Carter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Broadband]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cool Stuff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wireless Communications]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[next generation spectrum policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Optimal level of regulation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Really Cool Stuff!]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spectrum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spectrum policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unlicensed wireless devices]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://kennethrcarter.com/CoolStuff/?p=122</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have just completed a major study on next generation spectrum regulation which can serve as the basis for removing certain barriers to spectrum access, allowing more effective sharing and efficient allocations.  I can think of no reason why a properly designed auction could not determine not only who gets the spectrum rights, but what those rights are.

You cannot see, touch, taste, smell, or hear radio spectrum.  Spectrum is not a thing; it is an idea – a legal and engineering construct that explains a physical phenomenon and helps us arrange our behavior accordingly.  That fundamental physical phenomenon is the fact that when electromagnetic waves are: (1) harmonic in frequency; (2) incident in time; and (3) alight on the same reception device, the ability of those waves to be used as information carriers is degraded.  This deleterious effect is known to us as interference.  Without some form of intervention, it is impossible to exclude or limit the use of a common resource such as spectrum. Without exclusion, users consume the spectrum without regard to fact that their usage causes the deleterious effect of interference for other would-be users.  Policies which help to mitigate inference with the least amount of effort will be the most socially beneficial.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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