Lawmakers spar over spectrum policy

Democrats and Republicans promoted their competing visions for reforming wireless spectrum regulation at a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on Friday.

Republicans released a draft of their spectrum bill on Wednesday, and Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) released their own version on Thursday. 

Although members of both parties called for bipartisan collaboration at the hearing, Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) criticized President Obama for pushing to allocate a valuable chunk of spectrum known as “D Block” to emergency responders. “Let’s be honest, but for the president’s call in February to allocate the D Block, we’d be much further along today,” Walden said.

The Republican draft bill would auction off D Block for private use while the Democratic version would give the portion of spectrum to public safety officials. Republicans noted that their plan would help to pay down the nation’s debt by raising billions in revenue.

“The national debt is encumbering all other discussions,” said Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.), arguing for the Republican’s plan to auction spectrum.

San Jose Police Chief Christopher Moore testified in support of the Democratic plan. “Auctioning this D Block will put the public’s safety at risk and will considerably limit our first responders’ ability to do their jobs,” Moore said.  

Christopher Guttman-McCabe, vice president of regulatory affairs at CTIA, a wireless communications trade association, argued that auctioning spectrum would lead to investment and job creation. 

“Making spectrum available will pay dividends not just for the wireless industry, but also for the broader American economy,” Guttman-McCabe said.

Former Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), now the president of the National Association of Broadcasters, argued that the government should not reclaim spectrum that currently belongs to television stations.

He pointed to the role that broadcasters can play as “first informers” in giving the public important information during emergencies. “It is critical that any incentive auction legislation be crafted to ensure viewers who rely on broadcast television continue to receive the service they do today,” Smith said.

Joking about the intense lobbying efforts since the release of the committee’s draft bills, Walden said, “In the lobbying community, we’re already creating jobs.”

Correction: This story was updated on July 18, 2011 at 2:38 p.m. to correctly reflect the views of CTIA.  They support auctioning spectrum but are neutral on the issue of D Block.

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