A U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee approved legislation that would spell out funding for a public-safety nationwide mobile broadband network and allow the FCC to auction off spectrum that is voluntarily given up by U.S. TV stations.
The communications and technology subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the Jumpstarting Opportunity with Broadband Spectrum Act (JOBS Act) on a 17-6 vote. The full committee will now debate the proposed bill.
"Primarily, this legislation is about getting America's economy going again," said subcommittee Chairman and bill sponsor Greg Walden. "It is a bill that frees up vast swaths of valuable spectrum, both licensed and unlicensed, that when put into service will unleash new technologies. It will spur innovation."
The proposed JOBS Act would allow the FCC to share spectrum auction proceeds with TV stations that voluntarily give up spectrum. The bill would also allocate 10MHz of spectrum unsold in the FCC's 2008 700MHz auction to public safety agencies.
For more:
- see this PC World article
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