Key Senate office questions spectrum crunch

Though Hussey was generally supportive of incentive auctions, he called on policymakers to collect more data, urging Congress to look at spectrum with a “much more holistic, comprehensive view” than it has up to this point. 

He also questioned the FCC’s definition of “comprehensive spectrum inventory.” Genachowski has previously told Snowe that the FCC has already completed a spectrum inventory, referring to a baseline analysis of spectrum use.

Hussey said Thursday that his office would still like to see a fuller inventory take place. He said it does not have to precede incentive auction legislation.

“A comprehensive inventory does not have to be sequential to incentive auction authority. It can be concurrent,” he said. “We would support that.”

Hussey also said that more data is needed before Congress can act on spectrum issues. He said the National Broadband Plan relied on by the FCC does not discuss key ways to alleviate spectrum demands, such as femtocells. 

While he said there’s “no need to delay” on spectrum issues, policymakers need to “stop talking in generalities” and “start peeling the layers of the onion back so we can contemplate reforms” to communications law.