Spectrum fight: Mobile broadband vs. TV broadcasts

It’s hard to imagine a debate that might stupefy more people than the one that’s brewing over government policies for airwave spectrum. But hang in there: The subject’s important. It’s also about to become hot.

Everyone’s starting to realize that the 547 megahertz of spectrum that can be used for mobile broadband isn't enough to accommodate the burgeoning number of consumers and businesses falling in love with smartphones, tablet computers such as Apple’s iPad, and other wireless communications devices. “If we don't act, the (wireless) consumer experience will be very frustrating,” Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski said. “The congestion will be very significant.” That means more dropped calls, slower transmission speeds, dead zones — and potentially high prices, with the heaviest mobile service users paying the most. AT&T said this week that it agreed to pay $39 billion for T-Mobile to avoid getting caught in a spectrum crunch. And you'll probably hear a lot more about airwave policy as the federal government prepares to coax some spectrum from one of the most potent forces in politics: television broadcasters. They collectively control some of the biggest blocks of airwaves but don't want to lose their ability to transmit video over the air and for free.