The Phantom of the Broadcast Spectrum Policy Opera

One of the most valuable swaths of underdeveloped spectrum is currently allocated for television broadcasting. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) now has plans to reallocate parts of that spectrum for mobile broadband purposes and to auction the spectrum to the public. Congress last week passed legislation that would give the FCC the authority it needs to implement its specific plan.

The legislation has reignited the debate over broadcast spectrum and how to structure FCC auctions. Professor Thomas Hazlett discussed the value of getting more spectrum into the marketplace, the dangers of regulatory micro-management, and various means to move spectrum quickly from low value to higher value uses.

Questions can be submitted via Twitter: @HudsonInstitute with the hashtag #HudFCC.