July 2016

[Commentary] The future of a free, open, and affordable internet lies in the hands of our next president. The next four years will be crucial to developing the infrastructure and policies that shape the experience of Americans online - and determine if they can participate at all. If the internet is to serve the needs of all Americans, we can't afford to waste this opportunity. If we are to build a country that is equitable and just, where economic opportunity is available to all, and where diverse voices have an equal say in our politics, our nation's internet policy must reflect these values as well. Yet, for many Americans, especially people of color, access is out of reach. The digital divide is real, and filling in the gaps is crucial to prosperity not only for individuals, but for the country as a whole.

As people of color become a larger proportion of our population, we need to make sure we arm these future leaders with the basic tools that will help them achieve their goals and give back to their neighbors. The future of education, our economy, and civic engagement depend on ensuring that as many Americans as possible have access to affordable high-speed internet. If we are to build equitable education systems and promote economic opportunity for all, we need policies that will not only increase high-speed internet access, but make sure that it is affordable as well. Yet, as we work to expand access, we also need to make sure that we stay true to the principles that have made the internet such a powerful tool.

A free and open internet creates more opportunities for diverse voices to organize, to share our stories and to transform culture, attitudes and beliefs about Latinos and other groups that have faced discrimination from mainstream American culture. In these ways, an affordable and open internet helps to create a more inclusive and accepting society, to break down barriers and to counteract fear and hate. Public policy should promote these values and ensure that the diversity of our nation is reflected in our media.

[González is executive vice president and general counsel for the National Hispanic Media Coalition]

We have now established the clearing cost for repurposing 126 MHz of licensed and unlicensed spectrum for wireless data use. The next step in this stage is to prepare bidders for their chance to acquire the 100 MHz of licensed spectrum in the forward auction. Here’s what comes next.

1. Bidder Qualification: Upfront payments – the refundable down payments that applicants make in order to establish their bidding eligibility for the auction – are due today at 5pm ET. Once we’ve validated which applicants have made payments, we will release a list of qualified bidders in mid-July.
2. Bidder Education: Shortly we will release a user guide for the forward auction bidding system and an online tutorial. Qualified bidders will then be able to participate in an extensive bidder training program, which will include the first-ever FCC “practice auction” and a mock auction shortly before the bidding rounds begin.
3. Clock Bidding: After the mock auction concludes, clock bidding will begin. Like the reverse auction, each round will offer bidders an incremental change in price for the licenses on which they’re bidding. If forward auction proceeds are sufficient to satisfy the “final stage rule” then the auction can close at the current clearing target; if not, then the auction is designed to run additional stages to match supply and demand. Forward auction bidders have the largest possible nationwide supply of low-band spectrum available to them, and this summer they will have the opportunity to bid on it. The end result of the auction will be the repurposing of as much spectrum for wireless broadband use as the market demands. We look forward to working with the bidders as they prepare.

[Epstein is Chair of the FCC’s Incentive Auction Task Force; Symons is Vice-Chair]