Time For Open Spectrum Auctions

By Brad

In an op-ed for Forbes, former Federal Trade Commission policy director David Balto argues the FCC needs to move faster in freeing up more spectrum for wireless use, and they need to make sure spectrum auctions are open to everyone. As he writes:

It is important to allow voluntary incentive auctions to occur, and to permit all market participants to take part, with the right to bid on all blocks of spectrum without restrictions. This is the only way we can be sure the private sector can continue to develop the tools and infrastructure required to advance our wireless broadband infrastructure. Empowering the FCC to implement a biased process that favors some companies over others may end up hurting consumers even more by blocking some national wireless carriers from investing in and building out high-speed mobile broadband networks to meet the demands of more than 200 million wireless customers across America.

The government shouldn’t be in the business of deciding what is good for some customers and not others, and attempting to reshape the market and drive consumers to certain competitors. Consumers should be making those decisions on their own based on things important to them, like service quality, innovative devices and more.

Balto’s entire op-ed is worth checking out.