A fortnight ago I highlighted an inter-businesses solution that was achieved nigh entirely without DC involvement.
The airline and cell phone industries <gasp> sat down with each other and <GASP> reached mutually beneficial solutions to problems that arise because they both utilize wireless spectrum.
They did so with almost no DC involvement. Very little government. And very little utilization of DC’s Lobby Industrial Complex.
I wish for a world where very little utilization of DC’s Lobby Industrial Complex is routine. But I’m a dreamer - not a delusion-ist.
I am a realist. Which means I understand that there are times when government has to be involved in what the private sector wants to do.
So let’s do it wisely, shall we?
We need public-private relationships that deliver better results for We the People and the country.
Rather than what far too often actually happens: Public-private relationships that deliver optimal crony results only for those inside that cozy little circle. At the exorbitant expense of all the rest of us.
South Korea recently delivered for us a (just about) perfect visual aide of how to properly strike that elusive balance.
Government, Three Carriers Step Up Next-Generation Network Investment Push, Revamp Regulation:
“The government and the country’s three mobile carriers discussed expanding investment in next-generation telecom networks for the AI era. They also reviewed preparations to commercialise 5G standalone mode (SA) planned for the end of this year.
“The Ministry of Science and ICT on Wednesday held a launch meeting in Seoul for a public-private consultative body to promote telecom network investment in the AI era with SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus.
“The consultative body is a follow-up step to a meeting in July between the ministry’s deputy prime minister and the chief executives of the three carriers.”
(Did you catch that? There are only three wireless companies in all of SoKo. The US has about 30 facilities-based providers. Plus more than 50 virtual operators - leasing capacity from the 30. How’s that for a dynamic marketplace?)
I don’t think we need a South Korea-style official “public-private consultative body.” But I think it’s outstanding that South Korea’s government and private carriers are working together to advance the ball for their people and country.
Thankfully, that (very occasionally) happens here too. It has in the US’s push to advance wireless.
Spectrum is the lifeblood of all things wireless. It is a finite resource - there is only so much spectrum to go around.
The US’s federal government holds about 60% of our domestic supply. But they don’t need anywhere near that much.
Which means they need to consolidate their use of it - on to as little of their spectrum as possible. So as to free up more and more of it for use by the private carriers.
The Donald Trump Administration is thus far doing a fairly good job of identifying available spectrum - and then selling it at auction to the private providers. Who then feed it into the pipelines that are our national wireless networks. 5G, 6G - and then some.
That’s a public-private partnership we can all celebrate. Just the right amount of cooperation - with none of the corrosive cronyism.
But where some private spectrum is good? More is always better. And where some federal government effectiveness is good? More is always better. Call it the Oliver Twist Principle.
And that’s where further utilization of this public-private partnership can be most helpful.
A technology-focused non-profit joint called The Free State Foundation (FSF) has just released a report: “The Challenges and Benefits of Valuing Federal Spectrum.”
(Full disclosure: The Foundation’s president - Randolph “Randy” May - is a longtime friend. And an exceedingly good dude.)
In FSF’s report, they note:
“(T)here is wide agreement that the present use of allocated federal spectrum is suboptimal, largely because it is the product of a bureaucratic process in which economic efficiency does not play a major role….
“Improving the use of federal spectrum requires better methods of measuring its value and a willingness to reflect those measurements in achieving better public policy outcomes.”
This is where a public-private relationship - should transmogrify into a private-public relationship.
The wireless companies can bring to bear their spectrum expertise. In helping the federal government optimally value - and then utilize - their 60% of the available spectrum.
So as to render it 55%, and then 50%, and then…. Thereby making available more and more spectrum for private sector use.
This can be done in cooperation - without cronyism.
The companies analyze, identify and streamline. But then we auction the freed up spectrum - as per usual. No crony freebies.
The private companies are rewarded for their assistance of the government? With more spectrum to purchase. And only that.
That’s businesses and the government working together - properly.
The wireless world can definitely do this.
And it would serve as an excellent visual aide for all other sectors of the economy.