Senator’s Latest Attempt to Allocate Spectrum

In the first weeks of the new 112th Congress, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) has renewed his effort to assign 700 MHz spectrum directly to public safety instead of auctioning the frequencies as recommended by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Rockefeller has introduced the Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act that would also direct the FCC to develop technical and operational standards for a nationwide wireless network, and lease pre-emptable capacity on the network to government agencies and commercial companies. He introduced similar legislation during the previous session of Congress, but it failed to move to a vote. The proposed legislation would also allow the FCC to conduct so-called “incentive auctions” whereby existing spectrum licensees could voluntarily relinquish their frequencies in exchange for a portion of the proceeds of the commercial auction of their spectrum. Rockefeller says the funds from these auctions would help fund the construction and maintenance of a nationwide public safety network. The International Association of Chiefs of Police issued a statement supporting the legislation, saying it was “absolutely essential to public safety.” Read Rockefeller’s summary of his proposed legislation here.