#70: Auctioning the Airwaves

Tech Policy Podcast

TechFreedom

Technology

4.8 • 45 Ratings

🗓️ 28 April 2016

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As the demand for mobile data explodes, so does the need for spectrum holders to free up the airwaves for wireless carriers. While free, over-the-air television is still available using an antenna, Americans are much more likely to get their video through cable or Internet streaming. Last month, the FCC began its incentive auction of broadcast spectrum, whereby television stations sell spectrum to the government to then be sold to wireless carriers. Many broadcasters have voiced concerns that the auction may place excessive burdens on television stations that decide remain on the air. Ryan Radia, Associate Director of Technology Studies at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, joins the show.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Tech Policy Podcast.
0:09.6	I'm Evan Schwarger, your host.
0:11.2	On today's show, the exciting topic of spectrum auctions.
0:15.0	As the demand for mobile broadband increases exponentially,
0:18.5	and consumers are watching more and more video and streaming audio on their cell phones.
0:22.7	The demand for spectrum increases. And there's a need to repurpose spectrum that was once used for legacy technology for 5G and the new technologies that mobile broadband are going to bring.
0:34.5	So joining me to discuss this is Ryan Radia, Associate Director of Technology
0:38.6	Studies at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Ryan, thank you for joining the show.
0:42.7	Thanks for having me, Evan. So Ryan, last month, the incentive auction started. And when I say
0:49.6	the incentive auction, I'm talking about TV stations, broadcasters, auctioning off their spectrum to the FCC so that the FCC can then auction it off to mobile carriers. Can you explain a little bit about this, what's going on, why it matters?
1:04.6	Sure. So just brief background. This incentive auction process actually really came about because of a 2012 law.
1:13.8	The full title is the middle class job creation and tax relief act of 2012.
1:18.1	Their Congress ordered the FCC to conduct this incentive auction to take some of the
1:25.4	spectrum that's currently allocated for over-the-air television broadcasting
1:29.4	and move it to a more market-driven allocation where it can be used by, among other entities,
1:34.9	wireless carriers, I think Verizon, SprintyMobil, and the like.
1:40.3	So the FCC has spent years planning this auction, now finally on March 29th, it began.
1:47.7	And when you talk about over the air, what we're talking about is the old school way of accessing television, which is to buy an antenna or your TV already has an antenna and you get the standard national broadcast stations like NBC, CBS, Fox, and CW.
2:04.5	Why don't those stations need their spectrum anymore?
2:08.3	And why are they auctioning it off?
2:12.1	So there are actually a lot of the stations, the broadcasts over-the-air television that you pick up with your antenna that aren't affiliated with a major network.
2:21.6	Just in D.C. alone, if you tune in on a TV with an antenna that's aimed properly, you'll get dozens of digital over-the-air channels.
	...

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