HTSC Agrees That Extending the FCC's Authority to Conduct Voluntary Incentive Auctions Will Help Decrease the Deficit
The High Tech Spectrum Coalition (HTSC) strongly supports the recommendation in the proposal released today by the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (Commission) to grant the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voluntary incentive auction authority to free up spectrum for commercial wireless use.
"The bipartisan Commission's call for voluntary incentive auction authority, which will increase jobs, enhance innovation, and provide the government resources to reduce the national debt, is another signal that the time for Congressional action is at hand," said Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).
"A properly designed voluntary incentive auction could give broadcasters reasonable compensation for voluntarily electing to relinquish their licenses and still generate tens of billions of dollars for U.S. taxpayers and even greater gains for consumers," said Dean Garfield, President and CEO of the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI).
"Members in the House and Senate – on both sides of the aisle – recently introduced legislation which would grant voluntary incentive auction authority to the FCC. The HTSC and many others have expressed strong support for these auction provisions on the Hill, at the FCC, with the Administration, and with the Commission," said Brian Toohey, President of the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA).
"We are pleased that the Commission has heeded our call for voluntary incentive auction authority. If the FCC uses voluntary incentive auctions to free up 120 MHz of TV broadcast spectrum, HTSC conservatively estimates auction proceeds of approximately $20 billion to $40 billion in total. This revenue can significantly further the goal of driving down the debt," said Grant Seiffert, President of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA).
The High Tech Spectrum Coalition (HTSC) was established to advocate for legislation that will give the FCC the authority to hold voluntary incentive auctions of spectrum, as recommended in the FCC's National Broadband Plan. HTSC members include leading U.S. high tech companies and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), and Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA).
Contacts:
Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)
Megan Pollock,
703-907-7668
mpollock@CE.org
or
Information
Technology Industry Council (ITI)
Ashley Simmons, 202-626-5725
asimmons@itic.org
or
Semiconductor
Industry Association (SIA)
Kirsten Romer, 202-446-1707
kromer@sia-online.org
or
Telecommunications
Industry Association (TIA)
Michael Snyder, 703-907-7723
msnyer@tiaonline.org