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Sen. Burns to Offer Wireless Spectrum Bill

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – Sen. Conrad Burns,
a Montana Republican, said on Monday he
plans to offer legislation to overhaul the way
the government manages U.S. airwaves, but
predicted a two- or three-year battle over the
contentious issue.

By REUTERS NY Times

Commercial mobile telephone services like
Verizon Wireless VZ.N have been crying for
more airwaves to expand and offer new products. But spectrum is a scarce,
finite resource with no readily available spots.

A good chunk of airwaves are used by government agencies like the Federal
Aviation Administration and the Defense Department. But earlier plans to move
those operations to other airwaves have little support in the wake of the Sept. 11
attacks.

Another band of spectrum will eventually be vacated by television broadcasters
as they move to new, crisper digital signals. That could potentially happen as
early as 2006, although that is not seen as likely.

“We’re going to put together a spectrum reform bill; we don’t think that we
should be piecemealing how we make spectrum (available),” Burns told an
audience of television broadcasters at the annual National Association of
Broadcasters convention.

In the past, the Federal Communications Commission has auctioned off
airwaves for commercial mobile telephone services. Government use of airwaves
is managed by a group within the U.S. Commerce Department.

Officials from both agencies in recent weeks have renewed efforts to better
coordinate spectrum policies, bringing parties from various constituencies to the
table to debate.

Efforts to find more airwaves for the carriers have been complicated in part by
the bankruptcy of one company, NextWave Telecom Inc., and the government’s
so-far unsuccessful attempts to wrestle away the spectrum and sell it to
established arriers.

Burns predicted an intense battle over the legislation affecting multiple
constituencies. He added that he was also awaiting a report from the
investigative arm of Congress, the General Accounting Office, which is reviewing
a slew of spectrum issues and related government practices.

“This will be a broad look at how we manage our spectrum. Are auctions the
right way to go or are they not, or what is the role that broadcasters have?” he
said.

He later told reporters the battle would likely last two or three years. An aide to
the lawmaker said legislation probably would be introduced late this year.

“If this is to be treated as a national resource, then how do we manage a
resource? We don’t know where this will lead,” Burns said.

An aide to Sen. Ernest Hollings, the chairman of the Senate Commerce
Committee, said the panel was also considering legislation to address spectrum
policy problems.

Separately, he held out hope that the Senate would resolve as soon as this
week a spat between leaders over who would fill the second of two Democratic
seats on the Federal Communications Commission.

The FCC, split 3-2 in favor of the political party that holds the White House, is
headed by Republican Michael Powell.

Republican Leader Trent Lott said in March he opposed Jonathan Adelstein,
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle’s legislative assistant for
telecommunications issues, for the FCC slot because he was too young and did
not have enough experience.

Lott’s opposition came to light after the Senate Judiciary Committee defeated
the nomination of his personal friend to a federal appeals court position. Lott has
thrown his support behind Andy Levin, an aide to Rep. John Dingell, the ranking
Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

However, Levin withdrew his name from the running for the FCC slot last
November because he said he did not have the support of Hollings, chairman of
the panel with jurisdiction over the FCC.

“I would hope it could be resolved by this week,” Burns said, adding that his
support was behind a public utility official in Montana, Democrat Bob Rowe.

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/technology/tech-congress-telecoms-spectrum.html

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