This week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) takes an important step towards freeing up new spectrum for Wi-Fi and other uses. The FCC has adopted an order that will allow television broadcasters to sell their spectrum licenses back to the Commission, which will then re-auction those rights to mobile broadband operators. The Commission’s plan also preserves some spectrum for license-exempt use.

Professor H. Nwana, Executive Director of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA), said, “The FCC had a tremendous challenge in designing the auction process, and the DSA is pleased that the Commission has plans to enable both licensed and license-exempt access in the 600 MHz band. License-exempt spectrum is a key driver of growth in the global economy: it powers Wi-Fi in homes, schools, and businesses; it enables broadband delivery in rural and underserved areas; and it powers the growing Internet of Things.”

“Access to the license-exempt portion of the band will rely on dynamic spectrum sharing – license-exempt uses will be permitted when and where licensed users are not present, improving overall spectrum utilization and making the most of this finite resource,” added Professor H. Nwana. “While the FCC’s plan doesn’t provide as much spectrum as we had hoped, it creates the potential and lays the groundwork for investment in the band. We look forward to working with the Commission to establish the right rules to make that potential a reality.”