National Telecom Co-op Assn. (NTCA) members will be ‘fanning out ...

offer spectrum in blocks covering smaller geographic areas than currently covered, “isn’t perfect legislation, [but] it’s a piece of the puzzle,” Baucus’ Legislative Asst. Jay Driscoll said Wed. at NTCA policy conference press luncheon in Washington. He said Baucus was reaching out to other associations such as CTIA to get backing from members “both big and small,” emphasizing to CTIA-affiliated companies that bill wouldn’t pick winners or losers or show preference for particular technology platforms: “If the bill can be written better, we invite them to work with us.” NTCA Pres. John Metts said bill not only addressed difficulties of deploying wireless telephony service in rural areas, but also would assist in provision of broadband and data services. Since legislation would require FCC to auction smaller spectrum blocks, small-to-midsized providers could afford to buy spectrum that otherwise could be purchased only by industry behemoths, he said. Subsequent decrease in infrastructure and service start-up costs for competitive wireless carriers would encourage such companies to participate in auctions, he said. Recent NTCA member survey indicated many providers were dissuaded from participating in auctions since FCC offers spectrum blocks exceeding needs of rural carriers. Metts cited example of company wanting to buy spectrum covering rural area outside of El Paso that would have been required to bid for block that included entire El Paso metropolitan area: “Rational, smaller license areas that relate to our smaller geographic areas is what we need.”