Wireless broadband

other spectrum already allocated for wireless before asking for more, while 

companies that would benefit asked the government to look everywhere possible. 

Many broadcasters objected. 

---

 

 

Meredith Attwell Baker

, the newest Republican FCC 

commissioner, agreed that properly using the existing spectrum 

was important, and part of doing this was using the latest 

technology. The wireless industry needed more spectrum, both 

licensed and unlicensed.

FCC broadband advisor 

Blair Levin

 wanted a plan by February 

2010. Another proposal was "

geo-filtered WiMAX

", which 

would allow 

HDTV

 but only in a particular market, with the 

remainder of the spectrum sold for 

$60 billion

. WiMax would 

replace the existing services but would make 

MVPD

 services 

cheaper, while still allowing broadcasters to make more 

money. The additional spectrum made available could then be 

sold to pay the industry's debt.

---

 

 

An FCC workshop on 

November 23, 2009

 produced several ideas. 

Virginia Tech professor 

Charles Bostian

 said sharing should be 

done, but not in the 

white spaces

; WiFi spectrum should be used 

instead. 

Vint Cerf

 of 

Google

 said cable companies could share some 

spectrum, which the companies would like to do except they have 

"

must-carry

" rules that will not allow this. 

BBN Technologies

 chief 

engineer 

Chip Elliott

 called for government-funded broadband to be 

shared by researchers. Collaboration was the key to advancing the 

technology, and the word "

collaboratories

" referred to broadband as 

"

not only the goal of the research, but the vehicle as well.

"

Wi-Fi testing using white spaces took place in 

Virginia in Fall 2009

 

and in 

Wilmington, North Carolina in 2010

. 

---

 

 

On 

December 14, 2009

 at a hearing before the Communications 

Subcommittee of the 

House Energy & Commerce Committee

, NAB 

president 

Gordon H. Smith

 recommended using white space in rural areas 

with fixed devices rather than mobile devices, and new types of 

broadband service such as those developed by 

Sezmi

. CTIA president 

Steve Largent

 said that the industry needed spectrum, "

wherever it comes 

from.

" He said government spectrum probably was not efficiently used 

and would "

likely

" be "

repurposed

", while other broadcast and satellite 

spectrum "

may

" be used better for wireless. Largent also said without 

more spectrum, companies might merge to better use what they had. 

Consultant 

Dave Hatfield

, former FCC engineering and technology chief, 

said making maximum use of existing spectrum through 

compression

 and 

modulation

 would help, but it would not be enough. 

---

 

 

The 

February 17, 2010

 deadline was extended by a month. On 

March 16, at the FCC's monthly meeting, 

Connecting America: The National Broadband Plan

 was 

revealed, with a combination of mandatory and voluntary 

efforts expected to increase spectrum by 

300 MHz

; 

120 MHz

 

of that was expected to come from broadcasters, and 

90 MHz

 

from mobile satellite service.

Mark Wigfield

, broadband spokesman for the FCC, pointed out 

that even in the unlikely event all broadcasters in a market gave 

up their spectrum, the FCC would have to guarantee that some 

over-the-air service remained. 

---

 

 

In 

April 2011

, FCC chairman 

Julius Genachowski

 said "

realigning

" 

would be necessary if broadcasters did not volunteer, while Intel's 

Peter Pitsch

 told Congress "

the repacking process should not be made 

voluntary.

" The NAB's Smith worried that the process could cause 

numerous problems for broadcasters and viewers.

The 

spectrum auctions

 were authorized by 

Title VI (The Spectrum Act)

 

of the 

payroll tax cut extension

 passed by Congress on 

February 17, 2012

.

On 

April 27, 2012

, the FCC approved letting stations share channels, with 

all stations that had "

full channels

" keeping rights such as 

must-carry

. At 

the first "

reverse incentive auction

" workshop on 

October 26

, FCC Media 

Bureau chief 

Bill Lake

 said stations would not be able to decide their 

channel but could apply to change it. 

---