Spectrum Bill Moves to Full Committee

A subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee marked up and sent to the full committee a bill designed to make spectrum available for commercial use by compensating federal agencies required to relocate spectrum operations to make bands available to new users.
Committee Chairman Rep. Billy Tauzin stated of H.R. 1320, “It will ensure that at least 90 MHz of new spectrum is made available for advanced wireless services that will give consumers mobile high-speed Internet access and other innovative applications.
Tauzin continued, “It is important that we alter the normal process because relocation will never occur if federal agencies are subjected to the appropriations process to relocate spectrum operations. These agencies must have absolute certainty that the money will be available and that they can spend it.”
The current relocation rules are flawed, he said. Auction bidders pay twice, once to the U.S. Treasury and once to the agencies.