US: FCC spectrum auction guidelines begin to materialize

Representatives for top US wireless carriers are reportedly nearing a resolution on agreed-upon restrictions and guidelines for the Federal Communications Commission’s upcoming spectrum auction.

The representatives spoke before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation to make their case on those restrictions, arguing that should the FCC place any restrictions on how much spectrum can be acquired by a single wireless company, then those restrictions should apply equally to all bidders involved.

The issue has been intensely debated within Congress following the passage of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, which politicians argue may or may not permit the FCC to restrict how much spectrum the nation’s top wireless companies, Verizon and AT&T, can obtain.

Despite the disagreement, Congress has said that the FCC must maintain the timeline of the auction, which is set for mid-2015.<./p>

Full Content: Bloomberg

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