Initiative Could Double Wireless Broadband Spectrum

President Obama signed an initiative to nearly double the amount of available commercial and federal broadband spectrum for mobile devices, the White House reported. The Presidential Memorandum is part of the broader approach to free up spectrum that also includes legislation to facilitate the transition. Administration has no official estimate of the auction revenues from this plan.

A Presidential Memorandum signed by President Obama would nearly double the amount of wireless broadband spectrum, through an auction, for governmental and commercial use, the White House said. The actual amount will depend on effective implementation and additional design details, but based on past auctions, some analysts believe the revenue potential could reach in the tens of billions of dollars.

In a planned speech to the New America Foundation, a nonprofit, post-partisan think tank, White House economic adviser Lawrence Summers is expected to provide further details on the plan, which would release 500MHz of federal and commercial spectrum over a 10-year period.

To read the original eWeek article, click here: Obama Initiative Would Double Broadband Spectrum