Federal regulators moved toward letting television broadcasters use channels more efficiently to free airwaves for high-speed Internet use. The Federal Communications Commission voted 5-0 at a meeting in Washington Tuesday to begin writing rules that are part of the Obama administration’s commitment to devote more airwaves for smartphones and mobile Web use.
“The explosive growth in mobile communications threatens to outpace the infrastructure,” said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. “If we don’t act to update our spectrum policies for the 21st century we’re going to run into a wall — a spectrum crunch.”
The FCC will examine ways that TV stations can voluntarily share a channel, opening airwaves for use by wireless devices, the agency said in a news release.
The agency also will lay “essential groundwork” for auctions that would let broadcasters collect payments for relinquishing airwaves, Genachowski said.
The FCC will want to act quickly if Congress authorizes the auctions, he said. President Obama in June proposed almost doubling the airwaves available for smartphones, laptop connections to the Internet and new wireless devices.
Obama signed a memorandum that commits the U.S. to free up 500 megahertz of government and commercial spectrum in the next decade to meet demands for mobile access to broadband services.
