FCC Protects Public Access to Unlicensed Spectrum

WASHINGTON, DC — The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) held its monthly Open Meeting this morning and voted on rules governing next year’s incentive auction of TV band spectrum. The impact of the auction rules on public access to unlicensed spectrum (so-called “TV White Spaces”) and on competition among mobile broadband carriers have been the subject of intense debate in recent weeks. The Wireless Future program encouraged the FCC to adopt rules that protect unlicensed spectrum.

The following statement can be attributed to Michael Calabrese, Director of the Wireless Future Project at New America’s Open Technology Institute:

“The FCC has wisely adopted incentive auction rules that ensure at least three channels for enhanced Wi-Fi access in every market nationwide. The unlicensed community applauds Commissioner Rosenworcel’s tireless efforts to achieve a more balanced policy that gives consumers and innovators the benefit of TV-quality licensed and unlicensed spectrum.

“Wi-Fi already carries the vast majority of mobile device traffic and makes smartphones and tablets more affordable for more Americans. Preserving public access to unlicensed spectrum in the prime TV band frequencies is more important to the public interest than more one-time revenue from an auction.

“Our public interest coalition is disappointed that the Commission ultimately chose to maximize one-time auction revenue over competition by adopting a weak and inadequate reserve for carriers lacking critical low-band spectrum. At the same time, we are hopeful that changes won by Commissioner Clyburn will at least prevent the two dominant mobile carriers, AT&T and Verizon, from foreclosing four-carrier competition by gaming the auction and denying TV-quality spectrum to smaller competitors.”