FCC moves to auction airwaves by 2014

The Federal Communications Commission is moving aggressively to auction television stations' airwave licenses to cellular service providers by 2014.

According to FCC officials, Chairman Julius Genachowski will circulate an order on September 7 with the other commissioners that will outline how the agency could craft the multibillion dollar auctions and will seek feedback from companies and the public. Congress authorized the auctions as part of tax cut extension legislation earlier this year but left the details of the implementation to the FCC. The commission's proposed timeline is similar to the one sought by the wireless industry, which called for the auctions to be held by mid-2014. The FCC will vote on moving ahead with the proposal at its meeting later this month.