IABM Technology Blog - Spectrum Repack in USA

IABM Technology Blog - Spectrum Repack in USA 22 January 2016

IABM Technology Blog - Spectrum Repack in USA

Stan Moote, IABM CTO

stan.moote@theiabm.org

The FCC has been working on a plan to free up the current broadcast spectrum in USA to meet the demand for more wireless network capacity. This is being accomplished by having an Incentive Auction that encourages licensees to voluntarily relinquish spectrum usage rights in exchange for a share of the proceeds from the auction of new licenses that will be using the repurposed spectrum.

The Incentive Auction is actually involves two separate but interdependent auctions; a reverse auction and a forward auction. Sounds complex, well it certainly is.

The reverse auction determines the price at which broadcasters will voluntarily relinquish their current spectrum. The forward auction determines the price companies are willing to pay for flexible use wireless licenses.

What puts the outcome of these two auctions together for broadcasters is called Repacking. Repacking determines the remaining spectrum required for broadcast stations and assigns channels to free up blocks of spectrum for flexible use.

The process depends on the broadcaster's current channel and if they wish to stay on-air. Stations that are part of the auction can:

Bid to relinquish their license and go off the air;

Bid to relinquish their current channel in order to share a channel with another broadcaster after the auction;

Bid to relinquish a UHF channel to move to either a high VHF (7 to 13) or low VHF (2 to 6) channel; or

Bid to relinquish a high VHF channel to move to a low VHF channel.

There are many rules and a strict auction process. Once the auction process is concluded, the hard part begins actually completing the repack process.

I will be moderating a panel on Repack Monday of the spring NAB show. I can accommodate an IABM member or two if you would like to be a value add panelist. Implementing repack is a very complex but great business opportunity for members, so please come out and attend this session to learn more about repack.

LINK:	http://www.theiabm.org/news/news_detail.iabm-technology-blog-spectrum-...
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