WASHINGTON— The House will consider a bill to compensate federal agencies for relinquishing spectrum, according to Greg Walden (R-Ore.), chairman of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee. The bill was authored by Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) and Doris Matsui (R-Calif.) to provide an incentive for federal agencies to turn spectrum over for auction to commercial users.
H.R. 3674 provides for compensating agencies from net auction proceeds rather than simply covering relocation costs. It also directs the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to create a transition roadmap for agencies that either stop using spectrum or elect to share frequencies with other users. The agencies must use the NTIA roadmap to submit their spectrum proposals eight months before the commencement of applicable auctions.
Guthrie and Matsui are co-chairs of the subcommittee’s Federal Spectrum Working Group, formed in April 2012 to get government-occupied spectrum into the marketplace.
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