Stefan Bewley, principal at tech consulting firm Altman Vilandrie, will lead Monday’s panel at the VON Conference & Expo, “After the Deluge: White Space, 700MHz & The Future of Wireless Spectrum.” The session takes place from 12:30-1:20 p.m. VON checked in with Bewley to get a preview of the topics panelists will discuss.

VON: The spectrum news coverage really died down after the 700 MHz auction. What is reviving the wireless spectrum discussion now?

Stefan Bewley: There are a number of topics that are creating renewed interest in wireless spectrum. For the traditional mobile wireless industry, the impending deployment of LTE services and expansion of WiMAX networks are creating a renewed focus on the significant spectrum requirements to provide the high-bandwidth services expected on 4G networks. Other important topics include fixed wireless services, over-the-air mobile broadcast services and other opportunities that have companies contemplating a mix of licensed and unlicensed spectrum to meet their business model needs.

VON: What about the “white spaces” question – what’s happening on that front? The issue seems to have disappeared.

SB: The white space spectrum is still an active area. While it may not be making headline news, a number of companies have been hard at work developing technologies and device prototypes to meet the FCC requirements that were set at the end of 2008.

I think the white space area has moved from a very public debate around policy to a more private effort on technology development now that the policy rules have been defined. I imagine that future news cycles on this topic will be more technology-oriented, such as Microsoft and Harvard’s “White-Fi” announcements last month.

VON: What strikes you as most important about the whole wireless spectrum discussion, as it relates to the VON audience?

SB: I think VON has a diverse audience with a range of priorities. Broadly, most companies are probably interested in enabling valuable services on an increasingly varied range of licensed and unlicensed spectrum. Priority services probably range from advanced, new services (e.g., fixed-mobile convergence, location based applications) to cost-effective, replacement services (e.g., geographic expansion of fixed voice and data networks).

VON: Finally, what do you want attendees to get out of this session?

SB: A greater understanding of the growing wireless spectrum options and the range of business models that can be enabled by this spectrum. We’ll explore both the exciting future possibilities and the practical current limitations.