500,000 jobs from 500 MHz of new spectrum, report says: NAB counters with 'protect tv' campaign

The rhetoric continues to heat up between proponents of releasing more spectrum for mobile broadband and the concerns of the National Association of Broadcasters, which fear its members will be forced to give up that spectrum.
Mobile Future, which advocates releasing more spectrum for wireless networks, released a paper that says more than 300,000 jobs would be created from unleashing an additional 300 megahertz of spectrum. Meanwhile, NAB started a campaign called The Future of TV (www.thefutureoftv.org) that urges people to tell Congress to protect local TV.
David Sosa, Ph.D. and Marc Van Audenrode, Ph.D. of the Analysis Group conducted the study for Mobile Future. “Between 2002 and 2010 alone, capital spending in the wireless industry exceeded $185 billion, creating roughly 420,000 jobs throughout the economy,” according to a press release from Mobile Future. “Reassigning an additional 300 megahertz of spectrum to mobile broadband over five years, the report concludes, will spur $75 billion in new capital spending, creating more than 300,000 jobs and $230 billion in additional GDP. The release of an additional 200 megahertz of new spectrum after five years will create an additional 200,000 jobs and increase GDP by an additional $155 billion.”
The report also found that U.S. mobile networks are operating at 80% of capacity compared to 65% for all countries worldwide.
“Facilitating the reallocation of underutilized spectrum can create a favorable environment for private sector investment in critical wireless infrastructure that will create jobs, spur demand and encourage innovation. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg in terms of long-run economic benefits,” the authors said. “The sooner that spectrum is reassigned to mobile broadband, the sooner we’ll see private sector investment and job creation.”
NAB, for its part, warned consumers that Congress is currently considering action as part of the debt and budget negotiations that could threaten local TV.
“This congressional action seeks to reallocate some TV channels – through a process known as spectrum incentive auctions – to other services. We must ensure congressional action on this issue does not impact your ability to receive the local news, public safety information and the high-quality programs you value. We also want to ensure Congress does not hinder innovations taking place in TV – like free, local TV on your handheld or new HD programming.”
The Federal Communications Commission and the Obama Administration are seeking to find 500 megahertz of spectrum to free up for wireless broadband by 2020.