Senate Bill Would Give Government Spectrum License Holders Financial Incentives to Share

With the caveat that lots of bills are introduced in the U.S. Congress, for lots of reasons beyond a belief that the bills will pass, a new Senate bill relating to 3.5 GHz for mobile communications stipulates that government agencies agreeing to share some of their spectrum can receive 25 percent of revenues raised in any secondary auctions of spectrum access.

The bill does not specifically address the proposed three-tier access system already proposed by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.  

As envisioned, under that system, current licensees would retain primary access rights. But secondary users could bid to use spectrum when licensees do not need it, paying the licensees for such rights. Once primary and secondary users are accommodated, opportunistic access would be permitted, without the need to acquire spectrum rights at auction, much as Wi-Fi presently is used.