FCC May Open Up New Wireless Spectrum

Any year, now

The Federal Communications Commission is making progress in its effort to free up 500MHz of additional wireless spectrum by 2020, but much work is still needed in order for the FCC to meet its goal.

On Tuesday, the commission approved rules that would free up 40MHz of satellite spectrum that had been allocated for satellite use to be used for wireless broadband service. And it also moved forward with setting up an auction next year for 10MHz of wireless spectrum in the PCS H block. The H Block spectrum that will be auctioned off sits next to the satellite spectrum that was repurposed for wireless broadband.

"The FCC has removed outdated regulations and granted terrestrial flexibility for most of the AWS-4 band," Jeff Blum, Dish's senior vice president and deputy general counsel, said in a statement. "The commission has taken an important step toward facilitating wireless competition and innovation, and fulfilling the goals of the National Broadband Plan."