Welcome to the 4GWE Agenda for Miami

The Mobile Internet has exploded based on the primed pump provided by WiFi. WiFis roll continues to expand for new spectrum and new services. Towerstream provides us an update on how their services are being used and expanded in New York and other locations.

The FCC recently mandated data roaming among mobile operators. How should roaming be structured in an LTE environment? How should operators handle data roaming hogs? How should payments be handled? These questions will be addressed in this panel.

Carl Ford has been an opponent of femtocells while Rob Riordan has been a proponent and a member of the FemtoForum. This debate will be about the problem that needs to be solved and whether Femtocells represent the best alternative. Carl advocates alternatives such as repeaters and WiFi. Rob will speak to Femtocell specification and how they are using the solutions on their network.

Although the transition to LTE is well underway, 4G backhaul is still a complex challenge for many operators. With so many solutions available, operators need to decide what solution makes sense where. Should an operator deploy fiber or wireless? Should an operator deploying wireless backhaul use its own spectrum or look at high frequency options? How can operators deploy low cost backhaul for small cell LTE deployments? This session will provide operators with a comprehensive look at their mobile backhaul options in various contexts.

Recent spectrum discussions have focused on the lower frequency bands suitable for mobile services to end users. These discussions often miss significant opportunities for solutions that take advantage of high frequency spectrum to support mobile backhaul and alternative access systems. This session considers the role high frequency spectrum can play in next generation mobile networks.

Michael A. Rouleau serves as Senior Vice President – Business Development and Strategy and has been with tw telecom since November 1999. His extensive experience in the telecom and data communications industries resulted in the successful implementation and delivery of many advanced and innovative products. In his current position, Mr. Rouleau is responsible for developing tw telecom’s strategic direction and integrating new services and technologies over the next several years. Prior to joining the company, he spent 15 years with US WEST where he was responsible for the development, deployment and management of data, Internet, and DSL businesses.

Answering the need for data services has lead to rapid deployment of LTE by the carriers, while leaving the voice traffic on the existing 2G and 3G systems. However, the goal is to bring all media to the evolved packet core. What is the road map for the migrating to Voice to LTE VoLTE and how will SMS Text messaging will be changed. The Panel looks at the migration and how carriers will evolve.

Wireless ISPs often categorize themselves as “licensed” or “unlicensed” based on the type of spectrum they use to provide service. The spectrum crisis is beginning to break down this categorical wall – all ISPs are feeling the impact of the data explosion no matter what type of spectrum they use. Traditionally “unlicensed” ISPs are beginning to look at licensed spectrum to increase their capacity and coverage, and traditionally “licensed” ISPs are offloading traffic using unlicensed spectrum. Given the new data reality, the time may be ripe for previously unthinkable deals among “licensed” and “unlicensed” ISPs. This panel explores the potential synergies in this sector.

The cross elastics between Voice Calls and Data Use has lead to revenue anomalies, In building to Voice over LTE VoLTE the transition to the IP network will be complete, but will it be enough to maximize calling revenues? Rich Communication Services offers to expand beyond existing voice and add services including video, contextual media sharing, and presence. How can carriers find the upside in these services?

Most agree that increased smart device penetration is creating spectrum crisis that the transition to LTE can’t solve on its own. They also agree that more mobile spectrum is needed, but spectrum legislation has been slow in coming. What are the best options for transitioning more spectrum to mobile with or without legislation? Can heterogeneous networks manage the crisis in the interim? Are wholesale arrangements a viable option? This panel examines the key issues surrounding the spectrum crisis and options for managing it.

The FCC has set in motion a new era of regulation and its time to look at where we stand with acceptance by the industry, the impact on Internet services and the opportunities for wireless broadband.

Small cells are being billed as a cost effective solution for network congestion and the seemingly insatiable consumer appetite for data, yet small cells also present interesting and complex challenges relating to deployment, spectrum reuse and operations of a heterogeneous network. This session will explore the future of small cells from the perspective of leading operators and vendors in the field and address some of the key challenges posed by this fast emerging technology.

Mobile deployment is accelerating in the enterprise sector due largely to the availability of relatively low cost, highly capable devices. Although there is significant potential for growth in the enterprise sector, fear of data loss and leakage is hindering broader adoption of smartphones by businesses with regulatory compliance or enhanced security requirements. What are the security requirements of the mobile enterprise sector and how can operators take advantage of this opportunity? Find out in the session.

The use of policy controls is growing rapidly, especially in the mobile sector. The proliferation of mobile broadband devices and the transition to LTE are creating policy control opportunities and challenges for operators and equipment vendors. The latest evolution of policy control in LTE networks and its impact on the players will be analyzed in this session.

Thanks to Buddy Lists and Contact Managers the odds that people actually dial a number is becoming rare, but the long form of the number is still the most embedded way to connect to customer. This panel discusses the issues in marketing to a mobile market with all sorts of tools at their finger tips and how to blend marketing communication with wireless communications.

Wireless Access Opens the BusinessAs the Twilight of the PSTN nears the use of wireless services to provide access becomes more common. Wireless Access also features several alternative strategies in the delivery or redundancy. What are the capabilities of wireless fixeds access and what are the plans for expanded services based on the use of these solutions?

Its a global economy and sometimes the trends are global and sometimes they are local. It is the contention of this panel that global trends are impacting the US now. First we take a look at the Digital Divide and the opportunity to deliver a wireless device to everyone in the US. The question here is what are the benefits and how do we ensure we achieve them. The next digital divide we speak about are the implications of spectrum us and particularly the impact of TDD vs. FDD. As we put more devices in peoples hands will the spectrum requirement besolved in unique ways?Who benefits from our adoption of these techonologies?