Q. What is the mission of the Personal Broadband Industry Association?
A. To provide a unified industry voice to educate and support the global markets for affordable, ubiquitous broadband technologies and services.

Q. What does the term “personal broadband” mean?
A. “Personal broadband” refers to a simple idea—high speed Internet access that is always with you and is affordably priced. Personal broadband is just that—it’s utility is based upon the individual’s desire to access the Internet wherever and whenever it is requried by that individual rather than dictated by location-based availability.

Q. Why does the communications industry need another organization to reach this goal?
A. The communications industry’s current focus is on the specific technology solutions being developed as stand-alone capabilities, rather than on the sustainable market requirements driving this development. Markets will not be driven by simply offering technology solutions, but by identifying and addressing market needs through the value and vision of these technology solutions.

The existing field of technology initiatives is confusing. Instead of focusing on the value proposition to the customer, these initiatives have focused on the implementation specifics. This has created an environment where analysts and capital providers do not have a clear understanding of either industry or the market opportunity. As a result, the capital markets have not been “inspired” to invest in the growth of this impending market growth.

• The focus of the PBIA is to stand as a collective voice of its members to:
• Identify the value that these solutions offer to consumers and businesses
• Clearly define the markets that require these solutions
• Demonstrate the impact that affordable and ubiquitous mass-market broadband access has on business models today and in the future
• Become a single voice strong enough to identify and remove the barriers to the growth of the industry

Q. What is the relationship and position of the PBIA to other associations like the TIA, CTIA or EIA, IEEE standardization bodies and marketing organizations like WiMAX or the Wi-Fi Alliance?
A. The PBIA is complementary to these other associations. The existence of the PBIA does not negate the need for or the importance of these other organizations. In fact, the PBIA enhances these groups. For instance, the IEEE 802.xx working groups and their supporting organizations were created to promote, enhance and discuss the common technological choice amongst their members. The PBIA will become a vehicle for driving the overall market momentum for ubqiuitous broadband access, thus advancing the deployment and adoption of these technologies to meet market requirements.

Q. What are the benefits of the PBIA to the communications industry?
A. The PBIA will work to make visible and inspire the sustainable market drivers to transform individual, disparate network technologies, standards and service offerings into a simple and sustainable idea.

Q. What are the benefits of the PBIA to different types of companies?
A. By raising the level of discussion to the promotion of the market for personal broadband, and by combining all the aspects of the industry and marketplace, the PBIA increases the value of participation immediately and long term for all members.

Q. What are the benefits of the PBIA to consumers?
A. The PBIA will work to research and promote the rapid development of affordable, ubiquitous broadband access to individuals, irrespective of location or context. As a result, consumers will benefit from rich new products and services, and new solutions unseen in today’s market.

Q. What are the working objectives of the PBIA?
A. To educate the marketplace, inspire demand and mitigate risk for participants and consumers.

Q. Who is eligible to become a member of the PBIA? How can a company join the PBIA?
A. Any firm which is committed to providing solutions in this industry. Please contact the PBIA for membership requirements.

Q. Does the PBIA have working groups?
A. Yes. The PBIA has working groups for market definition and research as well as for each of the technologies being used to create solutions for Personal Broadband services, including groups for the current and future IEEE standards (802.20, 802.16, 802.11 and others).

Q. Is the scope of the work PBIA targeted at corporate or consumer services?
A. Both. Ubiquitous broadband offers convenience and productivity for any individual requiring some form of Internet access. Both markets will derive significant value from Personal Broadband services.

Q. Which key enabling technologies are the priorities in the Personal Broadband Industry Association?
A. Among the technologies and standards included under the umbrella of personal broadband are the IEEE wireless standards, including 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.15, 802.16 and 802.20, as well as wire-line standards and technologies. The technologies that make up personal broadband solutions may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the standards listed above. No one standard will be selected by the PBIA, but rather solutions that include one or a combination of the above.

Q. Based on these enabling technologies, what new solutions and services will eventually be realized in the marketplace?
A. Personal Broadband – a seamless access to broadband wherever the user is, with no need to plug into any other network, one flat rate.

Q. What is the market size for the personal broadband industry?
A. We will be working to quantify this in next few months. Since Personal Broadband can be delivered to a user at home, at work or anywhere in between at a cost that’s both affordable and attractive, we expect the market to be compelling.

Q. Will the PBIA be a “lobbying organization” for policy decisions?
A. We expect to be involved in lobbying the collective strength of members to illustrate value in spectrum, consumer and security policies.