Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) reintroduced a bill to require federal agencies to put a market price on spectrum they own, in an attempt to pressure them to free up unused spectrum.
“The United States is in the midst of a ‘virtual renaissance’ that is full of opportunities for innovation that could transform the quality of life for millions of Americans.” Sen. Lee said. “The Government Spectrum Valuation Act will help us better make decisions on how to free up the radio frequency we need to make this future a reality.”
Specifically, the Government Spectrum Valuation Act would require over the next three years (and every three years thereafter), that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration coordinate with the Office of Management and Budget and the FCC to estimate the value of electromagnetic spectrum between 3 kilohertz and 95 gigahertz for licensed or unlicensed uses that are assigned or allocated to each federal agency. The measure would also require the spectrum value to be reported in President’s budget and each federal agency’s statement.
The National Association of Tower Erectors praised the measure, saying the association supported it last year. NATE, too, believes more efficient, effective management of the nation’s spectrum must be a national priority.
“We believe proper valuation of government-held spectrum is imperative and could ultimately pave the way for more industry access to this spectrum; doing so will translate into more deployment opportunities for our members, to the substantial betterment of the country,” said the association in a statement.
May 30, 2019
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