Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 2965 - Emerging Telecommunications Technologies Act

(FINAL - sent)

(House)
(Dingell (D) Michigan and 15 others)

The Administration supports the objective of H.R. 2965 — to make additional frequencies available for commercial assignment to promote the development and use of new telecommunications technologies. However, the Administration opposes enactment of H.R. 2965 in its current form, and urges that it not be considered under suspension of the rules.

The Administration would not object to H.R. 2965 if it were amended to:

—  Give the President or a designee authority to determine the amount of spectrum to be reallocated. (The Administration would not object to a provision establishing a goal for the amount of spectrum to be reallocated.)

—  Delete the unnecessarily tight constraint on frequency sharing between Government and non-Government users as a means of increasing commercial access.

—  Include cost to the Federal Government as a criterion for identifying frequencies for reallocation.

—  Increase from six months to three years the deadline for withdrawal of assignments from Federal users.

—  Provide the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with the authority to use competitive bidding processes in the assignment of the reallocated frequencies.

—  Allow the Secretary of Commerce to use or augment an existing Advisory Group or Council for advice regarding spectrum reallocation associated processes and long range strategic spectrum planning. Appropriate Federal agency spectrum user representatives should be included.