Spectrum sale won't make it through Congress this year

The U.S. Senate has dropped the spectrum sale provisions from the current payroll tax extension bill. Although the sale had bipartisan support, Democrats found that the Republican House version "would have micromanaged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and hampered the agency's ability to conduct the spectrum auctions."

The pending spectrum legislation would pay TV broadcasters to transfer portions of their leased airwaves to the federal government, which would then auction spectrum off to wireless carriers.

Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, helped author S. 911, which would have made portions of the spectrum available to first responders for emergency communications. Rockefeller expressed his disappointment in the failure to pass a bill, but vowed to push on next session.

"Our police officers, firefighters, and emergency personnel across America need to be able to rely on a nationwide, interoperable communications network when the unimaginable happens. Although we didn't get this done within today's agreement, I intend to push hard in the coming weeks to work out a suitable compromise with the House."

Spectrum dropped from payroll tax deal (The Hill, Dec. 17, 2011)