FCC broadband plan could affect free TV

Commission to unveil National Broadband Plan next week

Industry analysis by expert Joanie Wexler, plus links to the day's wireless news headlines

The Federal Communications Commission will spill the details of its national broadband plan during an open meeting next Tuesday and is scheduled to present the plan to Congress the following day. One proposed provision, dubbed a "Mobile Future Auction," addresses a looming spectrum shortage in the United States at the possible expense of some free TV airwaves.

FCC drives need for national broadband plan

The auction idea is to allow TV broadcasters to exchange the use of their spectrum for a cut of the auction proceeds. The auction represents just one component of the FCC's quest to find 500MHz of spectrum over the next decade that can be reallocated to mobile broadband use.

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The Federal Communications Commission will spill the details of its national broadband plan during an open meeting next Tuesday and is scheduled to present the plan to Congress the following day. One proposed provision, dubbed a "Mobile Future Auction," addresses a looming spectrum shortage in the United States at the possible expense of some free TV airwaves.

FCC drives need for national broadband plan

The auction idea is to allow TV broadcasters to exchange the use of their spectrum for a cut of the auction proceeds. The auction represents just one component of the FCC's quest to find 500MHz of spectrum over the next decade that can be reallocated to mobile broadband use.

As you might expect, the wireless industry, represented by the CTIA trade group, has lauded the proposal, while broadcasters have generally turned up their noses. Indeed, there are still millions of Americans receiving TV signals via over-the-air antennas.

Chairman Julius Genachowski stated in a prepared speech delivered late last month to the New America Foundation in Washington, D.C., however, that auction participation would be strictly voluntary to broadcasters.

That said, though, the FCC is desperate to find more spectrum to accommodate huge increases in mobile data traffic and to generally boost the United State's global competitive stance in technology and innovation. Broadcast airwaves work well because of exceptional propagation characteristics. And let's face it: Spectrum just isn't that easy to find.

Genachowski also said that improvements could be made to the efficiencies of broadcast spectrum use, given that just a third to a half of the 300 megahertz set aside for broadcast TV are actually used in the U.S.'s largest markets. This insulted the National Association of Broadcasters into defending its efficient use of spectrum because of the one-to-many nature of broadcast transmissions.

Obviously, there's going to be a big fight. When a resource is scarce, compromises have to be made. Who should have to do the compromising will be a debate till the end of time.

Read more about wireless & mobile in Network World's Wireless & Mobile section.

Joanie Wexler is an independent networking technology writer/editor in Silicon Valley.