Verizon's McAdam, in Keynote Address, Advocates for Shared Spectrum by Public and Private Sectors

TAMPA, Fla., May 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Chairman and CEO Lowell McAdam on Wednesday (May 9) urged the federal government to explore options for the sharing of spectrum by the public and private sectors to meet the needs of mobile consumers.

Addressing the annual Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Mission Partner Conference 2012, McAdam said that Verizon is so committed to this model that the company is prepared to pledge personnel and $5 million to work with the Department of Defense, one of the largest holders of spectrum, to develop workable methods of sharing.

"Government and industry must work together to find ways to use spectrum more efficiently so that we are all truly connected, especially in times of need,"  McAdam stated. "Today, we are more encouraged than ever by the willingness being expressed in the industry for such a move."

Deeming it a "high priority," McAdam also called for the development of a robust secondary market that would make it possible for spectrum to smoothly change hands, allowing the market to find the highest and best use for spectrum.

McAdam pointed to positive steps that have already been taken, including the passage of landmark federal legislation authorizing "incentive auctions" to make spectrum currently used for broadcasting available for mobile services.  He praised the Federal Communications Commission for moving aggressively to put the incentive auction in place.

Criticality of Information in Today's Digital Age

In addressing conference attendees, McAdam noted that "information is now so critical to the work of the U.S. military that the Department of Defense has declared cyberspace every bit as important as the traditional domains of land, sea, air and space."

McAdam said "using information as a strategic weapon means we need to be more mobile, more agile, more global and more innovative," and he pointed to several technology trends that are having a major impact:

• The continued growth in global IP traffic, which is forecast to quadruple between 2010 and 2015.
• The high demand for video over the Internet, making it the biggest driver of Web traffic.  Verizon expects it to represent 50 percent of all Web traffic by the end of this year.
• The explosive growth of the use of mobile devices.  Today, there are more mobile devices than there are people in the U.S.
• The growth of the "Internet of Things," with intelligent chipsets embedded in electronics, appliances, medical monitors, cars buildings and utility grids – all of them connected to the Internet through secure 4G LTE wireless networks.
• A new IT delivery model, the cloud, offers a radically more efficient and effective way for government agencies and businesses to organize work in a rapidly globalizing world.

Giving First Responders Tools to Secure U.S. Communities

All of these trends, McAdam said, also highlight the increasingly important role commercial networks like Verizon's play in the information ecosystem, as well as the strong partnerships required between government and private industry in safeguarding cyberspace and U.S. communities and their citizens.

"We recognize that first responders – including those … responsible for our national security – need to be able to communicate in times of emergency over managed, interoperable, dedicated facilities," McAdam said.  He noted that the incentive auction legislation will dedicate spectrum and capital to establish FirstNet, a nationwide emergency response network compatible with existing LTE networks operated by Verizon and others.

"We applaud this plan to protect and secure the nation and its citizens and will do our part to make it happen as rapidly as possible," McAdam said.

He concluded:  "Today's highly complex information ecosystem requires a different way of working than the do-it-yourself models of the past, challenging all of us to embrace innovation without sacrificing the security and availability on which the critical systems serving the American public depend."

Verizon is the largest provider of communications services to the U.S. government, delivering a broad range of advanced IT and communications services. Visit the Verizon Public Sector website for more information.

About Verizon

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with 93 million retail customers nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500.  A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 192,000.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon