WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission this week is expected to tell the private-wireless industry it will not have to face auctions for the spectrum it occupies today.
With a few exceptions, the FCC today has the authority to require auctions as a way to license all spectrum. The exceptions, mostly targeting public safety, have led some interests to argue that while they are not subject to auctions, the rest of the private-wireless industry should be.
The private-wireless industry favors spectrum lease fees rather than auctions, and has asked Congress to give the FCC authority to assess spectrum-lease fees. So far, those attempts have been fruitless. But Mark Crosby, president of the Industrial Telecommunications Association, said he is convinced the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau would “expeditiously implement” spectrum-lease fees if given the authority.
Until the FCC receives that authority, the agency is expected to proceed with rules to increase efficiency in the private-wireless pools below 800 MHz.
Also on the FCC’s agenda this week is the release of a policy statement and notice of proposed rule-making to promote efficient use of spectrum by eliminating barriers to the development of secondary markets.
FCC Chairman William Kennard has pushed the idea of secondary markets since raising it at the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association trade show in February.
The private-wireless industry was the first test a secondary market structure in September when the FCC auctioned off licenses for guard-band managers for the 700 MHz band. Winners of the licenses are expected to lease at least 51 percent to entities for private internal use, protecting adjacent public-safety spectrum.
