James Delahunty
28 Sep 2009 22:24
The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) in the United States is seeking input from industry players before October 23rd on an attempt to expand the wireless spectrum as part of the National Broadband Plan. The regulator is seeking comments on whether the "prime bands" below 3.7GHz are sufficient for near- and long-term demands. The bands are considered ideal for wireless data and video transmission.
The FCC wants to get input on the ability of the current spectrum to support future build-outs and what bands would suit mobile or fixed broadband connections best, and what issues could potentially stand in the way of moving spectrum.
AT&T, ClearWire, Ericsson, T-Mobile and Motorola have already expressed the need for a new spectrum as demand in the area continues to grow in the country, whereas others have said the best solution is to seek methods to more efficiently utilize the spectrum that is currently licensed. T-Mobile in particular wants to see the re-auctioning of the 700MHz band.