Government Must Auction Off Spectrum, Rubio Tells Des Moines Register Editorial Board
A Republican presidential contender raised the issue of reallocation of government spectrum without prompting. “The federal government also owns an extensive amount of wireless broadband,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., told The Des Moines Register editorial board Wednesday, changing the topic…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
from federal control of U.S. land. “The entire world is moving to wireless. Everything is now wireless. Wireless communication happens across the spectrum of broadband -- it’s like a road, and we control far too many lanes in the federal government.” The newspaper posted video showing the full hourlong conversation. Rubio, a member of the Commerce Committee, has introduced multiple pieces of legislation involving spectrum and pressed for more reallocation of government-held spectrum for the private sector. His Senate office has stayed engaged on the spectrum overhaul effort within Commerce and wants stronger language in the draft Mobile Now bill from Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D. (see 1511130036). Rubio made a high-profile promise during a summer campaign event in Chicago to reallocate spectrum if elected president (see 1507070034). “We should keep those lanes that are critical for emergency or national security use and the rest should be auctioned off to the private sector so that more broadband capability is available in the United States for investment in broadband technology,” Rubio said Wednesday. “Otherwise we are going to have higher prices and slower connection times that will in the long term put us at a competitive global disadvantage in a 21st century economy that will extensively be driven by increasing wireless technology.” No member of the newspaper’s board had asked about technology issues or spectrum, and members initially responded to his comments with silence. “I was just looking for a chance to drop that in -- it’s an important issue,” Rubio said of the lack of immediate response from the editorial board. “It just doesn’t fit on a bumper sticker.”