Wireless crunch faces political 'solutions'

[Commentary] The flipside to the mobile revolution is that we're rapidly approaching a wireless spectrum crunch. As spiraling numbers of consumers watch video, stream music and send pictures on their smart phones, various carriers say they're just a few years from hitting their capacity wall.

The Federal Communications Commission has said we'll reach a spectrum deficit as soon as 2013 if nothing is done. It will mean slower speeds, dropped calls, higher prices and less mobile innovation. Among other things, the challenge demands freeing up underused capacity in the airwaves, such as the television "white space" used as a buffer between channels. But the FCC, Congress, industry players and consumer advocates are arguing about the appropriate approach. Some Republican legislators seem latent. Primarily intent on delivering big-bowed gifts to incumbent players, ensuring advantages for AT&T and Verizon as the companies continue the quest to lock down the wireless spectrum and shift the industry ever closer to a full-fledged duopoly. In the long run, that would mean less innovation, higher prices and worse service for consumers.