BELLEVUE, WA -- (Marketwire) -- 12/12/12 -- 4G Americas, a wireless industry trade association representing the 3GPP family of technologies, today announced that it has published a white paper, "Mobile Broadband Acceleration in the Americas," to point out existing access and transport network barriers and proposed solutions for governments and regulators in the Americas -- especially in Latin America -- and identify best practices whereby broadband deployment would have a positive impact on economic growth and result in higher living standards for citizens of all economic levels.

Mobile broadband deployment and adoption contributes directly and significantly to countries' social and economic growth, as confirmed by several studies that show its impact on Gross Domestic Product (GDP), productivity and employment levels. These studies have found that the impact on development caused by broadband is greater in emerging economies. However, mobile broadband acceleration in the Americas region is still facing several major challenges that need to be overcome so that such contributions may materialize in the most beneficial and economical manner. Mobile broadband can definitely address the digital divide in many regions of several Latin American countries.

The white paper analyzes the different types of barriers to infrastructure deployment -- from administrative to regulatory, to financial, to logistical and technical barriers -- that mobile operators currently face.

In the case of the radio access network (RAN), the white paper identifies the following elements that delay mobile broadband acceleration:

• Spectrum, cell sites and capacity
• Awarding of licenses, permits and authorizations
• Social alert regarding the effects of radio emissions

The white paper explains the necessity to also deploy the high-speed (fiber optics) transport networks that enable the routing of traffic on access networks and underlines the fundamental challenges to mobile operators, such as:

• Permits and rights of way
• Coverage in rural and remote areas
• Network security

"Mobile Broadband Acceleration in the Americas" shows a snapshot of the progress made by mobile broadband and the challenges the mobile industry has yet to overcome to accelerate the penetration in different countries in the Americas. The report discusses best practices from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and United States.

"The main challenge for telecommunications in the Americas, especially in Latin America due to the geographic complexity, the great difference between urban and rural areas, and a per capita income lower than that in other regions, is to economically achieve service coverage for all populations at adequate quality levels," said Erasmo Rojas, Director of Latin America and the Caribbean at 4G Americas. "To overcome this challenge, the governments in the region should maintain investment-friendly conditions and strive to minimize the cost of new infrastructure deployments."

The 4G Americas white paper, "Mobile Broadband Acceleration in the Americas," is available in Spanish and English and a free copy can be downloaded at www.4gamericas.org.

About 4G Americas: Unifying the Americas through Mobile Broadband Technology
4G Americas is an industry trade organization composed of leading telecommunications service providers and manufacturers. The organization's mission is to promote, facilitate and advocate for the deployment and adoption of the 3GPP family of technologies throughout the Americas. 4G Americas contributes to the successful commercial rollout of 3GPP mobile broadband technologies across the Americas and their place as the No. 1 technology family in the region. The organization aims to develop the expansive wireless ecosystem of networks, devices, and applications enabled by GSM and its evolution to LTE. 4G Americas is headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., with an office for Latin America and the Caribbean in Dallas. More information is available at www.4gamericas.org.

4G Americas' Board of Governors members include: Alcatel-Lucent, América Móvil, AT&T, Cable & Wireless, CommScope, Entel, Ericsson, Gemalto, HP, Huawei, Nokia Siemens Networks, Openwave Mobility, Powerwave, Qualcomm, Research In Motion (RIM), Rogers, T-Mobile USA and Telefónica.

Add to Digg Bookmark with del.icio.us Add to Newsvine