Italy can do it, why not the US?

Italian Ministry of Defense turns 3.5 GHz spectrum over for WiMAX use

Picking up on an earlier thread of how Germany and more recently, Italy, have beat their spectrum swords in the form of 3.5 GHz spectrum into economic plowshares in the form of WiMAX spectrum, I think this provides a roadmap for the US spectrum planners to transition 3.5 GHz from the Pentagon to the FCC for distribution to WiMAX operators.

In the case of Italy, the Defense Minister asked for 400 million euros in compensation. He was right to ask for something in return. May I propose an American constitutional crisis and propose that the Pentagon hold a 3.5 GHz spectrum auction just like the FCC does? All the arguments that the spectrum auction people make about the “efficiencies” of spectrum auctions would apply to a Department of Defense spectrum auction. Need to pay for the new Gerald Ford aircraft carrier ($5 billion)? Just auction off some spectrum that is no longer in use. Need recurring revenue to pay the troops? Sublease spectrum! The DoD auctions off surplus trucks and other gear, why not spectrum?

Thanks to Ovum’s Angelo Romagnoli and his report at http://www.ovum.com/news/euronews.asp?id=5242

Frank Ohrtman
WMX Systems

Thursday, January 04, 2007 in Archives | Business | Deployments  | Permalink |  Comments (0)