Doug Lung
Last week the FCC announced its Learn Everything About Reverse Auctions Now (LEARN) web site to “provide broadcasters and all stakeholders with valuable information about business opportunities created by the incentive auction, as well as the proposed incentive auction process.”
If you’ve followed my previous articles on the spectrum auctions, you won’t find anything new here. If you haven't, the Incentive Auction Staff Summary on the LEARN site provides an easy-to-read description of the NPRM.
One thing I noticed is that all the spectrum repacking examples used the split band approach, in which both the wireless and TV broadcast spectrum is split into two UHF bands. Wireless downlink would be a nationwide allocation starting at TV Channel 36 and moving downwards, and uplinks would be a regional allocation (varying nationwide) starting at TV Channel 51 and moving downwards. While this could allow the FCC to auction more spectrum (the upper TV band would provide the duplex gap), it could reduce the amount of spectrum available for white space devices and possibly wireless microphones that would otherwise be able to use the duplex gap created in a single “Channel 51 down” band plan.
While the summary provides a good idea of what’s in the NPRM, it doesn't detail all the options listed in the NPRM. Fortunately the LEARN Webpage also provides a like to the entire Broadcast Television Spectrum Incentive Auction NPRM.
As previously reported, there appears to be some concern among wireless carriers about the viability of the FCC's split band approach. We should see if these concerns are real after the major wireless carriers file their comments. I'll review them next week.
