FCC
Spectrum
Task
Force
Announces
Plan
To
Unleash
Additional
Spectrum
For
Mobile
Broadband
18
June
2010
The
Federal
Communications
Commission
Spectrum
Task
Force
announced
a
plan
to
increase
value,
utilization,
and
investment
in
mobile
satellite
service
(MSS)
bands,
which
will
kick
off
with
a
Commission
proceeding
in
July.
“One
of
the
FCC’s
oldest
and
most
important
responsibilities
is
to
develop
wireless
spectrum
policies
that
stimulate
investment
and
keep
pace
with
innovation,”
said
FCC
Chairman
Julius
Genachowski.
“This
Spectrum
Task
Force
initiative
will
open
the
door
to
exciting
new
opportunities
in
mobile
--
new
networks,
new
devices,
new
competition,
and
new
technologies.
The
mobile
broadband
revolution
is
upon
us,
the
opportunities
are
huge,
and
the
FCC
is
committed
to
ensuring
that
America
has
the
spectrum
it
needs
to
lead
the
world.”
The
National
Broadband
Plan,
delivered
to
Congress
in
March,
outlined
a
comprehensive
strategy
for
making
500
MHz
of
spectrum
available
for
wireless
broadband
services
by
2020,
a
strategy
that
Chairman
Julius
Genachowski
charged
the
newly
created
Spectrum
Task
Force
with
overseeing.
“The
Spectrum
Task
Force
has
already
begun
executing
the
Commission’s
spectrum
agenda,
consistent
with
the
spectrum
plan
outlined
in
the
National
Broadband
Plan,”
said
Ruth
Milkman,
Co-Chair
of
the
Task
Force.
“Job
number
one
is
to
make
more
spectrum
available
for
flexible
use,
including
terrestrial
mobile
broadband.”
The
FCC
has
taken
important
steps
to
put
the
spectrum
strategy
into
action.
Shortly
after
the
broadband
plan’s
release,
the
FCC
approved
the
Harbinger-SkyTerra
transaction,
which
will
enable
Harbinger
to
invest
billions
of
dollars
in
building
a 4G
wireless
network
using
spectrum
that
includes
the
MSS
bands.
In
May,
the
Commission
adopted
the
WCS-SDARS
Order,
making
25
MHz
of
spectrum
available
for
mobile
broadband
services.
Today,
the
Spectrum
Task
Force
announced
a
proceeding
to
unleash
up
to
90
MHz
of
additional
spectrum
for
mobile
broadband,
consistent
with
the
National
Broadband
Plan
recommendation
to
accelerate
terrestrial
deployment
in
the
mobile
satellite
service
band.
By
removing
policies
that
are
currently
barriers
to
flexible
use
of
terrestrial
mobile
wireless
service,
there
is
an
opportunity
to
enable
the
deployment
of
mobile
broadband,
while
retaining
market-wide
MSS
capability,
especially
for
public
safety,
rural
services,
and
the
federal
government.
“This
initiative
is
an
opportunity
to
make
additional
spectrum
available
for
mobile
broadband
by
promoting
greater
spectrum
efficiency
and
flexibility,”
said
Julie
Knapp,
Co-Chair
of
the
Task
Force.
“The
Spectrum
Task
Force
remains
firmly
committed
to
maintaining
robust
mobile
satellite
capability
that
serves
important
needs
like
disaster
recovery
and
rural
access.
I am
confident
that
we
can
achieve
all
of
these
goals
and
create
a
win-win
solution.”
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