Digital Policy Institute: Top 10 unanswered questions involving spectrum auctions

Many in Washington, and beyond the Beltway for that matter, are anticipating the upcoming spectrum incentive auctions set to take place in the coming year or so. While these auctions could stand to raise billions of dollars for the US Treasury and broadcasters, there are also many issues that need to be worked out before any auction takes place. Here are ten questions that regulators, auctions participants and consumers should be asking themselves in the run up to the auctions, along with today's versions of the answers to the questions.

1. What happens if not enough broadcasters volunteer to give up spectrum? The target is to recapture 120 MHz. What if they can only get half of that? Will the auction continue or go back to square one?
2. Is it possible that some markets will see more broadcasters contributing more spectrum for auction to wireless providers than is needed, while in other markets too few broadcasters may be willing to offer up their spectrum? What then?
3. Will the audiences for over-the-air broadcast stations be negatively affected by a smaller service area?
4. While the FCC and others are now anticipating and sometimes obsessing about the forward and reverse auctions over current TV broadcast spectrum, are there other spectrum auctions underway or being considered that might also help quench the insatiable thirst of wireless companies for more and more spectrum? If so, when will these auctions take place and for what purposes are those portions of the spectrum currently allocated?
5. What will be considered an acceptable level of interference for broadcasters? For broadband providers?
6. Who will be allowed to participate in the auction? If "caps" are imposed, what frequencies will be included in computing the cap?
7. What are the government's choices if not enough money is raised in the forward auction to cover the expenses incurred in the reverse auction?
8. What is a realistic expectation for the first available date for new wireless frequencies?
9. Will this spectrum action permanently satisfy the need for more wireless broadband spectrum?
10. Will "losers" in the process be able to stall the process from going forward through legal challenges and other means?