Spectrum auction bill heads for completion

Spurred by an effort to offset the costs of the hotly contested payroll tax cut, and of long-term unemployment benefits, Congress moved closer to approval of a compromise bill that will sell off public TV airwaves and sell the space to wireless carriers and free up space for a national safety broadband network. The agreement is the result of work by the payroll tax relief conference which overcame sharp partisan differences.

The Democratic Staff of the Energy and Commerce Committee released a fact sheet on the proposed deal which spelled out how the spectrum sale will be implemented. The consequence, said the report, could be economic growth.

"Unlicensed spectrum has been an engine of economic innovation and growth, enabling new forms of communication like WiFi and Bluetooth.  Many advocate that allowing unlicensed use in the broadcast frequencies could lead to new breakthroughs like Super WiFi."

As far as the safety provisions:

"The legislation provides for the construction of a nationwide public safety broadband network, as envisioned in the Senate bill, with an 'opt-out' option for states that demonstrate the capacity to build their own networks and connect them to the national network."

Speaker Boehner and most Republicans accepted the compromise grudgingly. Boehner said, "Let's be honest. This is an economic relief package, not a bill that's going to grow the economy and create jobs."

On the other hand, House Republicans Fred Upton (MI), and Greg Walden (OR) stated for the record:

"With 13 million Americans still seeking employment, job creation is a driving force behind efforts to expand wireless broadband... Spectrum auctions are not only good public policy for the communications and technology sector, they will produce meaningful job creation when we need it most."

Summary of the Spectrum Provisions (Democratic Staff of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Feb. 2012)

Congress Will Auction Public Airwaves to Pay for Benefits (New York Times, Feb. 17, 2012)