Friday’s spectrum letter by the Joint Select Committee on Deficit...
Friday’s spectrum letter by the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction “confirms” MF Global’s view that the super committee will take up spectrum auctions in its legislation due this Thanksgiving, MF Global analyst Paul Gallant said in a research note…
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Monday. The letter (CD Oct 11 p4) likely was “aimed at nudging the Administration to repurpose the 1755-1850 MHz band for commercial wireless service” as a proposal in an upcoming NTIA report due in the next three weeks, he said. The spectrum, which has been much lobbied for by the telecom industry, is currently used by the Defense Department and other federal agencies. “We believe the NTIA report will support repurposing of 1755-1850 MHz, but probably over a longer timeframe, possibly 5-10 years,” Gallant said. “However, we also expect the report to say that the specific band most coveted by wireless operators -- 1755-1780 MHz -- could be used in five years, subject to certain engineering limitations, and could be auctioned in perhaps 2-3 years.” That’s a longer timeframe than some would like, but is still good news for the industry, Gallant said. The House Communications Subcommittee had planned to mark up spectrum legislation last week, but postponed the vote. “No date has been set for a markup,” a spokeswoman said Tuesday. Under full committee rules, 48-hour notice must be given prior to a markup. Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., has said he wants to pass a bill by year-end.