March 15, 2007
Spectrum Conspiracies At The FCC?
By Winter Casey
The FCC process for auctioning spectrum has been the object of some "very sophisticated conspiracies" that have made it unfair, Andrew Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, said Thursday.
Schwartzman was one of a number of panelists to raise the subject of the effectiveness of FCC spectrum policies during a Catholic University law school symposium. Schwartzman said there has been an over-reliance on exclusive licensing and auctions for airwaves.
He said there should be less reliance on auctions and putting money into the U.S. treasury. The country would be better off and have more opportunities for startup companies and innovation if it found more ways to devote spectrum to be used as unlicensed spectrum, Schwartzman said.
On the other side of the debate, Kathleen O'Brien Ham of T-Mobile said there is a place for unlicensed spectrum, but the problem is not auctions, which are positive. Rather, it is making sure there is enough spectrum to auction, which will bring down prices.
Ham said thousands of licenses are being distributed, and getting a significant amount of spectrum into the marketplace is a good thing.
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