More Spectrum Work Needed, Public Knowledge, House Democrat Say

for the economy of the future, an economy in which many of our business transactions and personal communications will involve wireless devices such as smartphones and tablet computers,” Clarke said in a statement this week. “We must have a sufficient capacity of wireless spectrum for these transactions and communication. By auctioning these airwaves the [FCC] can help provide the additional capacity required, as well as raise a substantial amount (more than $50 billion has been estimated) to fund critical programs such as Head Start and Pell Grants.” Clarke called the deal's section “an excellent start” but said she wants to find other “ways to free up more spectrum.” Her office helped write a draft bill also called the Spectrum Pipeline Act, circulated earlier this year. Public Knowledge Senior Vice President Harold Feld also sent a letter Tuesday to Commerce Committee leadership in both chambers pressing for further spectrum legislation. The group wants “the opportunity that comprehensive spectrum legislation presents to expand the availability of spectrum for unlicensed uses,” Feld said. “Public Knowledge proposes two, non-mutually exclusive mechanisms to increase the amount of unlicensed spectrum: 1) direct the FCC to allow for a non-interfering unlicensed underlay of all federal spectrum, with exceptions for sensitive national security and public safety uses in critical bands; and 2) designate that whenever federal spectrum is made available for commercial use, an equivalent amount [of] spectrum shall be allocated for license-exempt use.” He said the spectrum provisions in the budget bill amount to “baby steps.”