WASHINGTON-A new congressional caucus was unveiled Tuesday to set aside for unlicensed uses a portion of the 700 MHz spectrum made available with the transition to digital TV.
“It would be an enormous mistake if we were to auction off all of the public’s airwaves, which is the way it is headed today,” said Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Future of American Media Caucus.
Congressional caucuses are formed so members of both political parties can push certain policy initiatives. Other wireless-related caucuses include the Congressional Wireless Caucus and the Congressional E-911 Caucus.
Congress has to decide what to do with 48 megahertz of unallocated spectrum that will be available once broadcasters return the channels to government. Congress already dictated that 24 megahertz be given to public safety and 36 megahertz be auctioned to commercial services. Some of the commercial spectrum has been auctioned already, and an auction begins today for some unsold rural licenses.
The Senate Commerce Committee spent all day July 12 examining the DTV transition. During that hearing, the New America Foundation advocated setting aside 20 megahertz for unlicensed uses.
At the Tuesday event, Jim Snider, New America Foundation fellow, gave an overview of the DTV transition with a decidedly anti-broadcaster bent. Snider is the author of a book that is sharply critical of the broadcasting industry’s role in the DTV transition.
“This transition is about broadcasting to broadband,” said Snider. “Using wires to deliver broadband to rural America is insane. It is like using a golden hammer when a wooden hammer would do.”
In 1997, Congress said that in 2007, broadcasters would have to return the extra 6 megahertz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band given to TV broadcasters to facilitate the DTV transition. But TV broadcasters could keep the spectrum if more than 15 percent of the homes in their viewing areas could not receive digital signals. Removing the caveat has become known as establishing a hard date and has been widely encouraged by the wireless industry, which wants access to some of the spectrum.
The House and Senate Commerce committees have been tasked with trying to find more than $4 billion to help reduce the federal budget deficit. It is believed this money could be raised by the sale of licenses for spectrum in the 700 MHz band, but no sale will be effective until a firm date is set for broadcasters to return the 700 MHz spectrum to the government.
In addition to setting aside some of the 700 MHz spectrum for unlicensed uses, the FAM Caucus also is looking for broadcasters to be given additional public-interest obligations.
