WASHINGTON-If the incoming chairman of the Senate communications subcommittee has his way, the spectrum landscape-everything from who allocates it to how it is allocated-will change.
“We think that spectrum reform is very important,” said Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) at a press briefing Wednesday.
Burns reiterated his belief that there should only be one spectrum administrator rather than the current bifurcated process where the National Telecommunications & Information Administration manages federal-government spectrum and the Federal Communications Commission manages all other spectrum.
“One agency could do it better,” said Burns, noting that such a proposal “will stir quite a lot of conversation.”
Burns said he has not had any discussions with the FCC regarding its Spectrum Policy Task Force efforts. A hearing that had been slated for Thursday on the Spectrum Policy Task Force Report was canceled due to an unrelated squabble regarding Senate organization.
In a written description of his agenda for the 108th Congress-dubbed the NexGenTen-previews that Burns also would like to reform the way spectrum is allocated and do away with the current auctions model. “
“Sen. Burns is committed to moving away from the failed current auction model, which has resulted in numerous bankruptcies at companies and failed promises for consumers. Sen. Burns will examine potentially revolutionary ideas, such as using a royalty-based approach,” according to the document.
While he acknowledged that it is often hard to reform anything in Congress, he said it was important to put down a marker of ideas.
Also on his agenda is the thorny issue of E911 deployment. Burns said he is working closely with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) in the development of the E911 Caucus. The kickoff for the caucus is scheduled for Feb. 24.
