Members of Congress Send Letter to Wheeler on Spectrum Auction

I recently read the letter that 78 Members of Congress sent this week to FCC Chairman Wheeler about some important issues related to the upcoming spectrum incentive auction.  The Members want to ensure that the auction meets the critically important spectrum provisions in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012.  The three primary goals of that Act are to 1) fund a public safety network, 2) meet consumers growing demand for mobile broadband by re-purposing broadcast spectrum, and 3) generate funds to reduce the national debt.

The Members emphasized in their letter that it is important for the FCC to maximize participation in the spectrum auction by both broadcasters (to relinquish their spectrum) and bidders.  It states, “in fact, inviting as many bidders as possible to compete in an open and fair auction on equal terms will allow for the full market price for spectrum to be realized and, in turn, lead to higher compensation to incent greater broadcaster participation resulting in more spectrum for the auction.”

The success of the spectrum auction is an important issue for consumers.  As the letter from the Members of Congress indicates, more spectrum is needed to meet the exploding consumer demand for new and innovative mobile broadband technologies.   The wireless industries’ ability to innovate and continue to meet the needs of its wireless consumers will depend on the availability of spectrum.  The letter from the Members of Congress highlights the major issues of importance for the upcoming spectrum auction.