SpectrumTalk

FCC Budget &
Spectrum Policy:

Does Anyone
Read this
Stuff?







(The first thing one notices about the FY 2009 FCC budget is how sloppy the FCC seal looks. Most 7th graders would be embarrassed to have such bad art work on their websites. Did they take an embroidered shirt meant for departing employees and scan it? A much better public domain version of the FCC seal can be found on Wikipedia if anyone cares.)

But after getting over the above sloppiness, one gets to page 2 where it says,

"c. Spectrum – Electromagnetic spectrum is the means by which many new advanced telecommunications services are transmitted. The explosion of new digital services has placed huge new demands on this traditionally scarce resource, and allocating its private sector use has always been one of the FCC’s fundamental responsibilities. The pioneering work of the FCC’s Spectrum Management Task Force is producing new approaches to spectrum management, freeing up more of this valuable resource for innovative uses and shortening the time it takes to make spectrum available. These initiatives, as well as the FCC’s ongoing effort to encourage the highest and best use of spectrum domestically and internationally, will be even more essential in FY 2009 if the United States is to encourage the growth and rapid deployment of innovative and efficient communications technologies and services." (Emphasis added)

What Spectrum Management Task Force? There actually was a group by that name in the 1970s that is best know for its innovative efforts to manage Part 90 spectrum in the Chicago area that in the end were very controversial and not too successful with available technology. It is best remembered for bringing a lot of new people to the FCC in a short period, some of whom were quite good, but some of whom were rather eccentric.

Does it mean the Spectrum Policy Task Force (SPTF)? This was a group created by Chairman Powell that reported to the Commission in November 2002. It drifted on for a while after that but appears to have disappeared into the night under Chairman Martin.

Well here's from the FY 2008 Budget,

"c. Spectrum – Electromagnetic spectrum is the means by which many new advanced telecommunications services are transmitted. The explosion of new digital services has placed huge new demands on this traditionally scarce resource, and allocating its private-sector use has always been one of the FCC’s fundamental responsibilities. The pioneering work of the FCC’s Spectrum Management Task Force is producing new approaches to spectrum management, freeing up more of this valuable resource for innovative uses and shortening the time it takes to make spectrum available. These initiatives, as well as the FCC’s ongoing effort to encourage the highest and best use of spectrum domestically and internationally, will be even more essential in FY 2008 if the United States is to encourage the growth and rapid deployment of innovative and efficient communications technologies and services. "

Sound familiar? Well let's look at FY 2007, Submitted in February 2006. (Kevin Martin became Chairman in April 2006.)

c. Spectrum – Electromagnetic spectrum is the means by which most new advanced telecommunications services are transmitted. The explosion of new digital services has placed huge new demands on this traditionally scarce resource, and allocating its private-sector use has always been one of the FCC’s fundamental responsibilities. The pioneering work of the FCC’s Spectrum Management Task Force is producing new approaches to spectrum management, freeing up more of this valuable resource for innovative uses and shortening the time it takes to make spectrum available. These initiatives, as well as the FCC’s ongoing efforts to encourage the highest and best use of spectrum domestically and internationally, will be even more essential in FY 2007 if the United States is to encourage the growth and rapid deployment of innovative and efficient communications technologies and services. To support this goal, the FCC is seeking additional resources to help fund its laboratory functions.

Maybe there is a secret Spectrum Management Task Force now at FCC doing "pioneering work", but the most likely explanation is that they are really referring to the Powell era SPTF. But why are they saying this "pioneering work" is producing "new approaches to spectrum management" when all of SPTF's recommendations seem to have been killed except for the TV whitespace recommendations that started Docket 04-186 and which is way behind the schedule announced by the Commission? The other policy initiatives, "interference temperature" and receiver standards issues were all killed off and others never started. So why is FCC using the same stale budget language year after year?

Commissioners, don't feel bound by previous chairmen, but at least make a conscious decision which spectrum policy direction you want to head in, tell the public and Congress, and start moving there.