FCC wants broadcasters' unused spectrum to help meet growing wireless demand

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski said he plans to encourage broadcasters to give up unused spectrum for auction to wireless carriers, an initial step toward achieving an agency goal of making networks faster for mobile phones and tablet computers.

Chairman Genachowski plans to introduce a proposal at the agency's Nov. 30 meeting that would lay the groundwork for broadcasters to voluntarily release airwaves for sale to mobile carriers, which have been struggling to keep up with consumer demand for Internet-capable wireless devices. Specifically, Chairman Genachowski said he would propose granting broadcasters the ability to share digital channels, giving them leeway to relinquish unused airwaves that could then be auctioned by the government. The FCC would also seek to free spectrum by improving reception on other airwaves and attracting broadcasters to those channels. Chairman Genachowski said some spectrum would be available for experimentation by universities and researchers. The proposal also would explore whether broadcasters could re-lease their spectrum that isn't being used. Analysts called the auction proposal incremental and said it would not provide immediate relief to users struggling to keep their smartphones from grinding to a halt in congested metropolitan areas such as New York. "I think it's best viewed as setting the table in the event that Congress approves incentive auction authority," said Rebecca Arbogast, an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus.