Reports Explore Treatment Of Contested Spectrum

[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: Drew Clark]
The FCC and Congress' Government Accountability Office each released major studies about the use of radio-frequency spectrum, particularly the prime frequencies that would be available with congressional passage of digital television legislation. GAO explored how the FCC allocates spectrum, and it concluded that current procedures stifle the effective use of radio frequencies. The FCC examined whether public-safety officials need access to more spectrum -- and concluded that, at least for now, they do not. 1) In its report dated Dec. 19 but released late Wednesday, the FCC said: "Public-safety commenters generally agree that emergency-response providers need access to additional spectrum, but there is a lack of unanimity within the public-safety community regarding how much spectrum will be needed. We expect that public safety's long-terms needs will become clearer" as they begin to utilize the new 24 megahertz, as well as other portions of spectrum. The report also said the agency will move to expeditiously examine whether it should let public-safety officials use some of that 24 megahertz for high-speed Internet service instead of voice communications. 2) The GAO report, dated Dec. 20 and also released Wednesday, said that 21 of 22 experts the agency consulted favored legislation to extend the FCC's authority to auction radio frequencies. That authority expires in 2007, but the DTV language would extend it. As to other reforms, GAO looked at two alternative models to the current spectrum paradigm. The property-rights model would have companies effectively own spectrum and enjoy flexibility in how they use it. The other, an "open access" or "commons" model, would allow an unlimited number of unlicensed users to share the spectrum. Of 20 panelists surveyed by GAO, nine wanted to move more toward the property-rights model, six toward the commons model and five to retain the current mix between the two systems.
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