The Spectrum and National Security Act Is Getting Worse, Says ITIF
WASHINGTON—Following the release of the latest version of the Spectrum and National Security Act, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the leading think tank for science and technology policy, released the following statement from Joe Kane, Director, Broadband and Spectrum Policy:
"The latest iteration of the Spectrum and National Security Act will neither sustainably revive the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) nor balance commercial access to spectrum with national security needs.
The new bill makes the problems with the old bill worse. The share of spectrum auction proceeds dedicated to ACP shrinks to 10 percent. At the same time, the bill reduces those probable proceeds by creating more opportunities for federal agencies to scuttle additional commercial spectrum access.
Indeed, the new bill would not require any new commercial spectrum access, whether licensed, unlicensed, or shared and does not even require study of all the bands contained in the National Spectrum Strategy.
There are fixes for these shortcomings: If we’re going to fund ACP with spectrum auctions, then its share of the proceeds should be capped at a number that realistically represents its cost over the timespan envisioned by the legislation. The bill should then create a mandatory spectrum pipeline that is likely to generate sufficient auction proceeds to meet that funding target."
Contact: Austin Slater, [email protected]
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The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational institute focusing on the intersection of technological innovation and public policy. Recognized by its peers in the think tank community as the global center of excellence for science and technology policy, ITIF’s mission is to formulate and promote policy solutions that accelerate innovation and boost productivity to spur growth, opportunity, and progress.
