A bipartisan group of Senate Commerce Committee members asked...
A bipartisan group of Senate Commerce Committee members asked NTIA Administrator Larry Strickling what plans he has to “maximize spectrum efficiency” and “relinquish portions of federal spectrum,” in a letter sent last week (http://1.usa.gov/1243Oo4). “Given the positive impact the U.S.…
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wireless industry has on our economy and expected growth in mobile data traffic, now is the time for the federal government to effectively manage spectrum, ensure valuable spectrum is used as efficiently as possible, and relinquish spectrum where possible,” the letter said. The senators asked Strickling detailed questions about how the agency plans to implement the requirements of President Barack Obama’s June 14 wireless memo (CD June 17 p1). The president’s memo said the administration would commit $100 million to spectrum sharing and gave NTIA a role in facilitating cooperation between federal agencies and wireless carriers. Specifically, the senators asked what steps the agency will take over the next six to 12 months to carry out the memo’s directives, how NTIA will assess federal spectrum usage, how will NTIA ensure agencies use their spectrum efficiently, what incentives could help increase federal spectrum efficiency, and would it be helpful for NTIA to designate a trusted agent structure to facilitate public/private sector collaboration with classified federal spectrum usage, among other questions. “If the United States is going to continue leading the world in wireless innovation, freeing up more spectrum for commercial users is essential,” the letter said. “This requires an effective NTIA that is fulfilling its responsibilities to manage federal spectrum,” it said. The letter was signed by Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; Mark Warner, D-Va.; Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H.; Ron Johnson, R-Wis.; Dean Heller, R-Nev.; Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.; Mark Begich, D-Alaska; Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; Tim Scott, R-S.C.; John Thune, R-S.D.; Amy Klobuchar, D-Min.,; Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.; Mark Pryor, D-Ark.; and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii.