Building the Pipeline: Auction Authority and Spectrum Allocation in the United States

With seconds on the clock before a government shutdown, Congress passed a continuing resolution that included a renewal of the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) auction authority for 3 months. That’s a good start—but a longer-term extension is desperately needed, or the FCC’s auction authority will lapse. There are plenty of looming issues out there that need attention, including our global competitive position or a pipeline that includes a ready supply of licensed spectrum. The need for Congress to act wisely only intensifies as time goes on. Spectrum is a scare resource, and consumer demand is going nowhere but up. What are we doing to ensure spectrum is put to its best and highest use, and do we have enough spectrum to keep pace with demand and innovation? This event will explore these questions and more.

Fireside Chat with FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr featuring:

• [Moderator] Jonathan Cannon, Policy Counsel, R Street Institute
• Brendan Carr, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission

Panel featuring:

• Moderator Jeffrey Westling, Director of Technology and Innovation Policy, American Action Forum
• Joe Kane, Director of Broadband and Spectrum Policy, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
• Roslyn Layton, PhD, Senior Vice President, Strand Consult
• Paroma Sanyal, Senior Consultant, Practice Co-Leader: Telecommunications, Media & Entertainment The Brattle Group
• Scott Bergmann, Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, CTIA