Washington, D.C. – This morning, U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) introduced The Federal Spectrum Incentive Act. This legislation offers new incentives for federal agencies to relinquish underutilized spectrum for commercial mobile broadband services. Representatives Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) and Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives. The bill allows for federal agencies to share a portion of the proceeds generated by an auction of relinquished spectrum.

Senator Fischer released the following statement regarding the bill:

“The world is going wireless and consumers want information, news, video, and more at their fingertips. That’s why I’m joining Senator Markey to introduce the bipartisan Federal Spectrum Incentive Act.

“This bill would ensure the wireless industry has the right tools to keep up with consumer demand. In turn, consumers will benefit from a faster, more reliable wireless service. This bipartisan and bicameral approach incentivizes federal agencies to accomplish these goals as we work to streamline and modernize our federal spectrum policy.”

Senator Markey released the following statement regarding the bill:

“Spectrum is the oxygen of the wireless ecosystem, but the surging growth in today’s data-intensive devices and applications is leaving our mobile economy gasping for air. As demand for wireless devices and services increases, so does the need for additional spectrum for commercial use.”

“The Federal Spectrum Incentive Act will help free up underutilized spectrum for companies, raise revenue, and reduce the deficit. I thank Senator Fischer, and Reps. Matsui and Guthrie for their leadership on this issue, and look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this bipartisan legislation.” 

The Washington Post reported on this initiative today:

“Every time you send a text or receive a mobile phone call, you're using wireless spectrum — invisible airwaves that transport all those bits and bytes from local cell towers to people like you and me. As more Americans become data-hungry consumers, that'll put an incredible load on the nation's cellular networks, which is why carriers such as AT&T have lately spent billions on additional spectrum to upgrade their service.

“Now, Congress wants to open up even more spectrum to meet that demand, by looking to the vast swaths of radio frequencies controlled by the federal government. A bill from Reps. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) and Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) will seek to do just that on Thursday. In the Senate, Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) are introducing an identical bill Thursday. The resulting auction of government airwaves could be a boon for industry, consumers and federal coffers.”

Click here to view text of the Federal Spectrum Incentive Act.