Spectrum is what allows our wireless devices to send and receive information instantly. It’s made up of radio frequencies that transmit wireless digital communications through the air, but there are a couple of problems with spectrum. One challenge is there is only so much of it, and another is the demand for wireless spectrum is rapidly increasing and we need the government to dedicate more of it for commercial use.
Simply put, we need more spectrum to meet demands from consumers like you and me, and to foster and encourage more of the incredible innovation we’ve already seen with wireless.
That’s why there was good news out of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today as the agency announced next steps for holding an auction for mobile broadband providers to bid on new spectrum licenses. This particular auction is going to be quite complicated for the FCC because of a couple factors. One of them is it includes getting enough broadcasters to voluntarily make the spectrum they’re currently using available for the auction. Another is the FCC has several goals established by Congress that it needs to meet, such as acquiring enough money from auction bidders to pay for a wireless public safety network and to pay as much toward the national debt as possible.
U.S. consumers currently benefit from world-leading mobile broadband and next-generation networks. With a light regulatory touch, the wireless ecosystem has been allowed to compete, grow and innovate to the benefit of consumers.
Adding more spectrum to the marketplace via an incentive auction that the FCC has proposed is a win-win for consumers and the economy.
There are some outstanding issues that have to be worked out and they’ll take some doing. We’ll keep you posted with developments as we get closer to the auction.
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