Dragging Spectrum Policy Out of 1929

Public Knowledge founder Gigi Sohn has called on regulators to move out of a mindset that was born in the 1920s and 30s and to start looking at spectrum through the lens of modern technology. This would allow the public to use the airwaves for themselves, instead of relying on broadcasters to use it for them. For decades, FCC regulation of broadcasters has been built on an assumption that spectrum is scarce. In 2008, the regulatory model grounded in spectrum scarcity no longer does more good than harm. It is time for a fundamental break with the past and a new basis for spectrum policy. Although radios designed in 1930 were unable to share the airwaves effectively, radios designed in 2008 are. It is no longer the case that each additional speaker on the spectrum reduces the value of that spectrum. Instead, with software defined radios that are able to listen before they speak, today each additional speaker actually adds value to the spectrum.