Startup Talk: Mobile Broadband Demand To Grow Six-Fold In Next Five Years

by Talk Business & Politics staff ([email protected]) 114 views 

Editor’s note: Each Thursday, Talk Business & Politics provides “Startup Talk,” a round-up of startup, technology and entrepreneurial news in our email newsletter, which you can sign up to receive daily for free here

MOBILE BROADBAND DEMAND TO GROW SIX-FOLD IN NEXT FIVE YEARS
To meet America’s growing demand for mobile broadband, the wireless industry will need more than 350 megahertz (MHz) of new licensed spectrum by 2019, according to a new report commissioned by mobile industry group CTIA.

The report, issued Wednesday by The Brattle Group, updates the Federal Communications Commission’s previous 2014 forecast to identify the additional 366 MHz necessary to meet the estimated six-fold increase in mobile data traffic by 2019.

“Since the FCC released its spectrum plan five years ago to meet the escalating demand for mobile broadband, American consumers fully embraced a connected life. As today’s report shows, we now need to execute on a new five-year plan to identify and re-allocate over 350 MHz of new spectrum for licensed mobile broadband services to ensure that the U.S. will continue its global leadership in wireless,” said CTIA President and CEO Meredith Attwell Baker.

To view the CTIA report, click here.

KAUFFMAN INDEX: ARKANSAS DROPS SIX SPOTS IN ANNUAL RANKING OF U.S. STARTUP ACTIVITY
As more prominence and recognition has been given to the state’s burgeoning startup and entrepreneurial community over the past few years, Arkansas still fell from six spots in a highly-watched national index that ranks new business growth and startup activity among the 50 states.

However, the state was still able to hold its spot as one of 32 U.S. states where startup activity gained momentum in 2015, according to the annual Kauffman Index released earlier this month.

The influential report, released earlier this month by Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, analyzes and ranks start up activity in all 50 states. This year, the study also expanded its research to look at entrepreneurial trends nationally, at the state level, and for the 40 largest metropolitan areas of the United States.

Read much more about Arkansas activity at this link.

GOV. HUTCHINSON TOUTS COMPUTER CODING, JOBS AT CNBC
Gov. Asa Hutchinson leveraged an appearance and op-ed at CNBC this week to tout Arkansas’ business climate and to discuss his computer coding initiative. Check out the guest commentary at this link.

NICHOLAS NORFOLK: MY FAVORITE TED TALK
TB&P contributor Todd Jones is starting a new series talking to a variety of active participants in Arkansas’ entrepreneurial and tech community about their favorite TED talks. This week, Nicholas Norfolk with CDots Media provides his favorite. Read more and access the video here.

TEENS STUDY ENTREPRENEURSHIP AT BOOT CAMP HELD IN FAYETTEVILLE
Sixteen teenagers assembled in a small conference overlooking the Fayetteville Square on Monday (June 22) to begin a week long study of entrepreneurship and starting their own business. The teenagers from schools in Fayetteville, Greenland, Farmington and elsewhere in the Northwest Arkansas community are participating in the fourth annual Teen Entrepreneur Boot Camp, co-sponsored by the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce and Start Up Junkie Consulting. Read more here.

AKAMAI RELEASES STATE OF THE INTERNET REPORT
Akamai Technologies Inc., the internet online content and backbone services giant, released its “State of the Internet” report that includes detailed statistics about Internet connectivity and usage in the first quarter of 2015.

“We saw generally positive results across all of the key metrics during the first quarter of 2015,” said David Belson, editor of the report. “The increase in global broadband speeds demonstrates an ongoing commitment to higher standards. While connectivity will continue to differ across many regions, we see the highest broadband speeds in countries/regions with high population densities and strong government backing or support, as well as those that foster competition among Internet providers.”

To view the report, click here.