The US spectrum regulator, the FCC, has completed a major study about how radio spectrum should be used in future. Other countries may follow their initiative.
The transparency principle encouraged
The FCC concludes that ‘spectrum policy’ is a key pillar of economic growth, and making its use very efficient needs special attention. They believe that, above all, knowledge of who uses the spectrum, where, and how, should be available to everyone – the ‘transparency principle’. A ‘spectrum dashboard’ web site is being created that will allow you to search and find information about who is doing what with radio spectrum across the country. Get more information from www.fcc.gov/spectrumdashboard. From this site, by the way, you can also measure the real internet data rates your own ISP provides. Should Europe have the same?
Impact on broadcasters
The report looks at ways of encouraging more efficient use of radio spectrum, and the incentives there could be to re-allocate services and repurpose spectrum. The main objective is to provide more wireless broadband, and to some extent this will need to be at the expense of broadcast use of the spectrum. They want to find another 500 MHz for wireless broadband over the next ten years, and 120MHz of it by 2015. They want existing broadcaster to voluntarily agree to give up spectrum, for example by sharing a terrestrial channel with a neighbour (each halving their broadcast HDTV bit rate). They want to expand the opportunities for ‘innovative spectrum access models’, and to do more research and development in this.
One of the objectives is to provide broadband for the tribal communities (American Indians) and this is being called by some ‘Heap Big Broadband Plan’.
Debate is expected to ensue
But the most controversial element is the proposal that, if broadcasters do voluntarily reduce their radio spectrum, they get a share of the profits of a spectrum auction from the government. At the NAB Convention this week, many delegates argue that this can only reduce picture and sound quality available in the United States for the American public.