FCC Approves AT&T's Request to Experiment with Web Technology Calls

A couple of years ago in 2012 (it seems strange to consider 2012 that long ago!), AT&T filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) a request to approve trial runs of digital services. Today, the news is that the FCC has agreed to allow the tests.

In what I think can be considered baby steps in the direction of loosening rules written for copper wire networks, the FCC will let telephone companies conduct trials of digital services. AT&T will be in the forefront as the leader of these assessments.

I say assessments because, AT&T said in its FCC filing that the transition “raises a number of novel and likely contentious issues.” Trying to provide reliable and consistent wireless and digital services is not an easy task to accomplish.

As the telephone companies move away from copper in favor of wireless technology, there are a lot of issues that need to be resolved. We have all experienced the dreaded dropped calls at the most inconvenient time. Dropped calls are something that cannot happen in a business environment, or even at home.

Tom Wheeler, who is the FCC chairman, said “We today invite service providers to propose voluntary experiments” to deliver service in areas exclusively using Internet-style technology. The vote received 100 percent approval as the vote was 5-0 in favor of allowing the tests.

Wheeler went on to state, “These experiments are therefore designed to identify in advance issues that must be resolved -– and their solutions -– so that consumers can continue to rely on the networks that connect them.”

It seems that after the devastation unleashed by super storm Sandy Verizon attempted to replace all of the damaged copper with wireless service on New York’s Fire Island. Unfortunately, after numerous consumer complaints Verizon resolved the problem by rebuilding using fiber optic circuits.

While this was something that could be accomplished on Fire Island, this cannot always be the case. There are areas where it is either too expensive or too difficult to install fiber. That leaves the wireless option. Verizon has been putting up the good fight to establish that wireless is a viable option.

AT&T feels that some requirements to provide connections to smaller companies should be eliminated after switching to a new system. This would leave minimal federal regulations.

However, at this point, this is going to be an ongoing process. While the technology has improved greatly, replacing all of the copper that exists is far from an easy task. Receiving FCC approval to begin conducting the necessary experiments and trials is definitely a step in the right direction.