House Communications Subcommittee Skeds Govt. Spectrum Hearing

Leadership says government could save taxpayers money by being more efficient

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/6/2012 7:24:33 PM

The Energy & Commerce Committee's Communications Subcommittee will hold a hearing Sept. 13, "Creating Opportunities through Improved Government Spectrum Efficiency," on freeing up government spectrum.

The Obama Administration is in the process of encouraging government agencies to find spectrum to either relinquish or share as part of its goal to get wireless broadband to 98% of the population within five years.

"The subcommittee will continue to examine how both federal agencies and commercial wireless carriers might benefit from more efficient government use of spectrum," said Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore). "As the single largest spectrum user, the federal government could save taxpayers money and make more frequencies available to meet American consumers' growing demand for mobile broadband services, while improving its own capabilities."

The Energy & Commerce Committee was active in the passage of legislation to authorize incentive auctions to reclaim spectrum from broadcasters to help free it up for wireless broadband and other use. The bill also directed the federal government to find its own spectrum to reclaim for commercial wireless use.