Here's how to expand wireless spectrum

[Commentary] We believe it is time for Washington to issue a challenge.

It is time for a contest to spur innovation to improve spectrum efficiency. Think of it as Race to the Top, Spectrum Edition. Here's how it would work. The first person who finds a way to make spectrum use 50 to 100 times more efficient over the next decade would win. The reward could be spectrum itself -- say 10 megahertz suitable for mobile broadband. That might sound like a small goal and a modest reward, but the impact could be really big. If the winner can find a way to use spectrum 50 times more efficiently, 10 megahertz of spectrum could do the work of 500 megahertz using today's technology. The technology developed by the winner, and even the near misses, would help manage the growing demand for our airwaves and further stimulate the wireless economy. Moreover, the reward would be a good deal. Ten megahertz of spectrum may not sound like much, but it could be sold or leased -- and spectrum auctions at the FCC bring in billions. Even a small slice of that revenue represents a pretty sweet incentive. The contest could be just the start. We could take what we learn from it to help develop new measures of spectrum efficiency. This would be a different approach to thinking about the future of our airwaves. Revolutionary opportunities lie ahead -- if we find new ways to seize them.

[Rosenworcel is a Federal Communications Commissioner. Cooper is a pioneer in the wireless industry and is considered the father of the cellphone.]