back to article Budge up, Navy boys, I've got some broadband spectrum to flog – FCC

US watchdog the FCC hopes to offer more airwaves to telcos in hope they'll be used to grow mobile broadband coverage in America. The commission announced on Friday that it wants to add 100MHz to the 50MHz of spectrum in the 3550MHz to 3700MHz band already available for commercial use. The US Department of Defense operates a …

  1. This post has been deleted by its author

  2. All names Taken
    Paris Hilton

    Let me see ...

    US guvmint (and most Western guvmints as it happens) wants to sell, lease, invite bids from interested parties that they in turn sell on as wholesale or retail packages to others.

    Then those guvmints request the buyers, lease holders, successful bidders to retain data including metadata for security purposes.

    So why sell, lease, invite bids in the first place?

    Of course the practical answer is: to get money dummy!

    But the moral answer is ... ?

    1. Tom Samplonius

      Re: Let me see ...

      "Then those guvmints request the buyers, lease holders, successful bidders to retain data including metadata for security purposes."

      No they don't. The terms of use are publicly available, as this auction is open to the public to begin with.

      And if metadata collection was required (and it is not required), the gov't could pass a law to require collection. The medium of transmission is irrelevant.

  3. All names Taken
    Alien

    ps ...

    ... here in the UK with lurches from one financial crisis to another, we are used to seeing civil servants sell of the family silver.

    Seeing something similar Stateside is a bit of an insight?

    1. Tom Samplonius

      Re: ps ...

      "Seeing something similar Stateside is a bit of an insight?"

      Gov'ts have always licensed spectrum. But the gov't is the spectrum steward, but it is not a provider of services. So, all radio stations, TV stations (expect UK, I guess) that were formed in the last 100 years or so, have paid the gov't for a license. So there is nothing new about this process.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Not magic

    Those billions have to come from millions of customers. Now ask yourself, is it worth you paying for it (US citizens, natch).?

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