Cellular One to develop broadband in Illinois using $13 million NTIA grant CSMG helped obtain

Wireless Communications Daily
Volume 30; Issue 170

The U.S. Department of Transportation's proposed rules that would toughen the air shipping requirements on lithium ion batteries and devices containing the batteries could severely handicap FedEx's and UPS' ability to ship handsets with lithium ion batteries using air transportation, said Joseph Marx, AT&T assistant vice president of federal regulatory. The rationale behind the proposal, announced earlier this year, focuses on a concern that the batteries could overheat or catch fire. The costs of implementing the new requirements have been significantly understated by the Transportation Department, Marx said. If lithium ion batteries are classified as "hazardous materials," the surcharges to ship the materials will substantially increase -- and this includes shipping costs via methods other than air, he said. That means more cost for consumers, he said. Finally, the new regulations could have a very real impact on jobs, he said. If the U.S. imposes shipping regulations that are substantially stricter than those in the rest of the world, electronic devices are likely still going to be shipped via air, just to destinations outside the U.S., where they can be aggregated and shipped by truck to the U.S., he said. The U.S. transportation industry might end up paying the ultimate price for increased reliance on foreign transportation routes.

Cellular One will develop broadband in rural eastern Illinois using a $13 million NTIA grant that consultants with CSMG, a unit of TMNG Global, helped obtain, TMNG said Tuesday. CSMG's proprietary three-stage methodology was key to the award, TMNG said. CSMG helped assess opportunities and develop a business case, it said. "Without CSMG's assistance –– and without these grants –– we could not justify the expense of building out to those areas," said Cassy Carter, CEO of Cellular Properties. The company, which operates as Cellular One of East Central Illinois, is the only wireless carrier serving the area. The grant will benefit more than 66,000 people, more than 7,000 businesses and about 700 community groups in 11 counties, TMNG said. Besides creating about 267 jobs, the project is expected to boost growth for decades, it said.

San Francisco Bay Area officials plan to detail public safety network buildout plans at a press conference Sept. 10, an FCC Public Safety Bureau spokesman said Wednesday. The jurisdiction was one of 21 localities that received FCC waivers to build out its network early. It will be the first in the U.S. to start construction. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and FCC Public Safety Bureau Chief Jamie Barnett are scheduled to attend the event, which is to be at the Alameda County Sheriff's Office at 4985 Broder Blvd., Dublin, Calif.

GAO stands on "dubious grounds" when it questions light-touch regulation for the wireless industry, Free State Foundation's Seth Cooper said on the group's blog. In a report last week, GAO told the FCC to enhance its data on wireless competition (CD Aug 27 p1), because small carriers say they're finding it hard to compete with the top four. But GAO's recommendation doesn't mesh with its other finding that prices are down and coverage is up, Cooper said. Complying with data collection mandates can be costly, and "here the additional data collection urged by the GAO appears premised on market concentration and competitor-welfare concerns," Cooper said.