LIVE FROM DSA GLOBAL SUMMIT, LONDON: Preston Marshall, principal wireless architect at Google (pictured), hit out at the use of national spectrum auctions, stating they create “artificial scarcity”, as he argued the case for a more dynamic approach to spectrum.

Marshall said the money companies spend in auctions is “only passed on to consumers and the lack of spectrum available to create the scarcity becomes an obstacle to bandwidth”.

“It is a self-defeating strategy to auction spectrum off and dribble it out into the market place,” he said. “You are messing your national economy up to get a short term infusion of cash.”

Continuing a tirade against the current system, Marshall said the industry had done “a poor job” in enabling an ecosystem which is conducive to innovation and allowing new entrants to thrive in the market place.

To solve the current issues, Marshall spoke about how the US Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS), through a three-tiered approach, is beginning to solve many of the current issues by lowering costs, reducing barriers to entry, ensuring spectrum is not left idle and providing sufficient bandwidth.

“We do have a new model for spectrum, and it’s more than just providing more spectrum,” he said. “It fundamentally changes the way you use it. It is becoming market driven rather than regulator driven…It is dynamic, people can come in, people can leave and it is a model of succession. It ensures every bit of spectrum is used and opens up both participation and investment.”

The next generation
Addressing 5G, Marshall said it is both a fixed and mobile technology and there are a lot of indications supporting the idea this would not develop into “a monolithic model”.

“The 5G market is not in the handset, as we already have unlimited plans. So it’s not just the people, it the thing – the internet of things. These markets are not just served by mobile carriers.”

Through CBRS, Marshall said there was an “opportunity to create abundance in 5G and truly disrupt the current ecosystem”.

“Do we have the spectrum policy to support this as it branches out and morphs or does spectrum become the sea anchor that makes the whole process take 15 years when it could happen in five? That’s the challenge.”