FCC's Martin Makes Spectrum Auction Top Priority

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin told attendees at the CTIA trade show here that his top priority as chairman is to see that the auction for spectrum space currently occupied by broadcasters goes off on time. Martin was the opening keynote speaker at the CTIA show that started March 27.

Martin said he has a Congressional mandate to hold the spectrum auction prior to Jan. 28, 2008. He said the frequencies being freed up are currently being used by television stations, and will be available as those stations convert to digital technology by February 2009.

"We need to allow competition, but make sure that the industry is not overregulated," Martin said.

He said part of freeing the industry from regulation is making sure that all data services, whether wired or wireless, are in the same regulatory category. To do that, he said, "We're making sure there's enough spectrum."

Martin said his plan is to make sure that the Federal Communications Commission considers the proposals for use of the spectrum in time for an auction by the end of 2007. "We want to create a level playing field," he said.

Martin said part of his plan for creating a level playing field is to make sure that there's enough competition for access to the Internet, including wired and wireless access of all types. "There's competition among platforms," he said, noting that the wireless industry has the strongest competition of all.

"We need to make sure we're not funding yesterday's technology," Martin said. He said funds for universal access used to go only to the traditional phone companies, but this is changing to make sure that all types of service are available. "Rural users need to be reached as well," he said.

When asked about his top three priorities for the year, Martin mentioned only one. "We need to complete that auction," he said.

Copyright 2007 by Ziff Davis Media, Distributed by United Press International

FCC Sets Digital TV Rules
The FCC adopts measures to ensure a smooth transition to DTV in 2009, which is necessary to free up the 700MHz band for wireless voice and data.
Will Next Killer App Be Mobile?
What is the next killer application? This is one of those perennial questions whose answer often seems obvious in retrospect but was not visible when you peered into the crystal ball.
Not enough space: The dicey game of storing, backing up files
About five years ago, a technical disaster struck Fernando Santos: His computer hard drive failed. The San Francisco resident lost everything on it and had to reformat his drive. "I lost a lot of nice pictures," said Santos, 20.

Invest in your family's health by budgeting for nutrient-rich foods
Times are tough for many families and schools – so those food dollars need to work hard by providing plenty of nutrition. Many nutrient-rich foods such as milk, are a good economic and nutritional value because they pack in many essential nutrients at a low cost per serving.
EU opens the way for 'cars that talk'
Cars stuck in traffic or on slippery roads will be able to communicate with other vehicles in a bid to cut down on traffic jams and road accidents, under European Commission plans unveiled Tuesday.
Aussies hope new bike will carry them to Olympic gold
A new bicycle, designed with aerospace expertise, will give Australian cyclists the edge at this year's Beijing Olympics, team organisers said here Thursday.
Think before you drink, says research
People are being urged to think before they drink as part of a research project aimed at changing people’s binge drinking habits.
Sandia researcher examines the physics of carbon nanotubes
Carbon nanotubes, described as the reigning celebrity of the advanced materials world, are all the rage. Recently researchers at Rice University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute used them to make the “blackest black” — the darkest known material, reflecting only 0.045 percent of all light shined on it.

FCC's Martin Makes Spectrum Auction Top Priority

Related stories:

News discussion: