Subject: [NEXTEL-1] FCC issues final spectrum-leasing rules

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 16:23:36 -0400

FCC issues final spectrum-leasing rules
By Emily Motsay
October 09 13:16:00, 2003

The Federal Communications Commission issued its final rules on secondary markets
earlier this week, hailing the action as one of the most important spectrum reform
decisions during the past decade.

The spectrum leasing—or secondary markets—rules, which were voted on in May, allow
wireless carriers to lease spectrum they are not using to other companies. The
hope is the new rules will allow the market, rather than regulation, decide
whether a spectrum deal gets done. “Our decision unlocks value trapped for too
many years in a regulatory box,” read the FCC’s statement on the decision.

The previous 40-year-old Intermountain Microwave standard required FCC prior
approval for any license transfer. Now, prior approval is not necessary for leases
in which there is no change in de facto control and the process for other leases
has been streamlined. The approval process for transfers and assignments of
licenses has also been streamlined.

“Together, the rules we adopt will create new opportunities for licensees with
under-utilized spectrum, to the benefit of consumers,” the commission said. The
new rules may be particularly beneficial to rural America as nationwide licensees
can now easily lease spectrum to an entrepreneur interested in building out a
network there.

FCC Commissioner Michael Copps voted against the rules and dissented from the
final ruling because he does not believe the Communications Act allows them.
http://rcrnews.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?newsId=15405

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