Debate over 700 MHz intensifies

Kevin Martin, chairman of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) said yesterday that he was open to public-private partnerships to help build out 700 MHz wireless networks. Martin, speaking at a Microsoft-sponsoed event on the company’s Silicon Valley campus, said he supported the idea of sharing airwaves between first responders and the general public at noncritical times.

There are a number of proposals under discussion about the best use of the 700 MHz band. A proposal from a coalition of consumer groups, for example, suggests that half the airwaves up for auction to be designated as “open access” spectrum. The Coalition for 4G in America (pdf), from EchoStar, DIRECTV, Intel, Yahoo! Google, Skype, and Access Spectrum, says the 15 MHz paired commercial allocation in the upper 700 MHz band should be reconfigured into a 16.5 MHz paired allocation.

Then there is Frontline’s plan, which would allocate 10 MHz of the 60 MHz available in the 700 MHz band for shared use in addition to 12 Mhz in the public service band. The 10 MHz could be auctioned to anyone agreeing to operate a wholesale wireless broadband network and build a shared, public/private network. The Frontline plan is backed by some of Silicon Valley’s most powerful venture capitalists.

Martin said that two-thirds of the spectrum, or 40 Mhz, would be reserved for smaller local players to bid on, potentially to build independent businesses or to resell for use by bigger players. The remaining one-third, or 20 Mhz, should be offered to bigger communications players with an eye toward ensuring that major regional or even a single national player emerges that can compete effectively with established phone and cable carriers, Martin said.

“I think it is important to use the upcoming auction to make sure there is more than just two competitors,” Martin said. “It is important that we auction that off so someone with critical mass evolves,” he said.