Walden Spectrum Bill Includes Public Safety Block- Government Security News
A new bill aimed at reallocating television spectrum for commercial wireless broadband services that includes a direct allocation of the resource for public safety users was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 29.
House Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) unveiled the “Jumpstarting Opportunity with Broadband Spectrum (JOBS) Act of 2011″ to the applause of House Homeland Security Committee leadership.
The bill, which is slated for markup in the House on Dec. 1, seeks to reallocate television spectrum, freeing up spectrum for commercial use. It also relocates some federal users, as well as designates spectrum for a nationwide broadband public safety network. The bill incentivizes broadcasters to give up their spectrum in exchange for a portion of the proceeds from the Federal Communications Commission auction of the bandwidth to commercial wireless companies. Walden said the auction of the broadcasters’ spectrum could bring in as much as $15 billion.
