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Whether we like it or not, mobile phones and services are going to be a major part of the world’s future. They allow for a level of connectivity that many never dreamed of. But it’s all in the works now, and the technology is developing rapidly. So how are we going to ensure unfettered innovation and high levels of competition? Ask the guys at Mobile Future. They’re forming a coalition that represents the interests of consumers, technology providers, legislators, and regulators so that we can all enjoy the mobile world together.

Still a young industry

“As the mobile sector develops, the need for having a platform that can actually integrate the innovators on the one side with the regulators and legislators on the other doesn’t exist, really,” says Jonathan Spalter, chairman of Mobile Future. “We think that it’s time. It’s really important to have a focused organization that will allow for those who are innovating and using mobile services to be able to have ways of communicating with, educating, and learning from members of Congress and regulatory agencies in Washington.”

It’s tough to disagree with such sentiments. Yes, in order to to have the brightest mobile future, we’re going to have to work together. This doesn’t just include the big players, though. Everyone, from the AT&Ts and Verizons all the way down to the guy who writes third-party applications in his spare time, needs to have a say in how we’re going to govern the industry.

That means education. It means wireless developers having an open forum with those who are creating the legislation governing the industry. It means making sure that regulations which help consumers don’t have the side effect of stifling innovation.

Getting to the point, and now

Even further, Mobile Future is about getting this done now. Waiting around for something to happen means that innovators and others who use mobile technology won’t have as much say in matters of regulation, unless they’re represented by lobbyists. This gives an advantage to the larger players. But without input from representatives from all kinds of firms and nonprofit organizations, how can we construct effective regulation?

“Our belief is that if we start early now, we will stand the greatest chance to grow innovation, not stifle it,” says Spalter. That might be the most important factor: timing. If regulation is put in place, it will certainly need time to germinate, even if its viewed by most within the industry to be the wrong type of regulation. Being preemptive is the only way to ensure that the proper measures are put in place.

Educating the regulators

In order to get that early jump on the game, the message has to be sent to the people in power. But there’s a slight problem there, according to Spalter. “The people who end up regulating these industries are typically the last who actually touch the technology, and often don’t understand what the technology is,” he explains. How can effective regulation be carved out if the people behind it aren’t intimately familiar with it?

And while everyone involved in the regulatory process surely has a cellphone, it’s not a given that they’ve been exposed to what mobile will truly mean for us as a nation and us as a global economy. “This just doesn’t just affect those directly in the industry,” says Spalter. “It touches organizations and nonprofits that use mobile to communicate with their core constituency.”

Further measures to accelerate innovation

Of course, there is plenty more to ensuring our mobile future than getting developers and providers together with legislators. There’s a matter of the consumer/provider experience, which Mobile Future covers. In essence, a friendly, transparent relationship is going to bring about more consumer confidence and investment, which will help further innovation.

There’s also a matter of patent issues. While not directly related to regulation, an efficient and scrutinizing patent office is necessary to unfettered innovation. As long as we continue to have poor patents pass through the office, we’ll have people suing for their rights. And at that point, there’s much less incentive to innovate.

We all want better service, better devices…a better wireless world. But that’s not going to take care of itself. Organizations like Mobile Future are taking the reigns and trying to make sense of this industry. Innovation doesn’t take care of itself. It requires measures to ensure that it can continue with the least possible hindrance. And the more we innovate, the more we move towards a more complete communications landscape.

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