Today, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) joined 13 fiscally conservative, pro-competition groups in signing a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski.  The letter urges Chairman Genachowski to  approve the transfer of spectrum licenses from SpectrumCo and Cox to Verizon Wireless, which would allow for a much-needed increase in the supply of spectrum available for wireless broadband while increasing both competition and consumer choice.  Demand for wireless broadband has been roughly doubling each year, but the availability of additional spectrum for wireless carriers has been increasing at a much lower rate.

While CAGW would support (and has supported) spectrum auctions as a way to efficiently allocate spectrum among industries and firms according to their willingness to pay, the letter points out that “auctions … on additional spectrum remain years away,” and that in the meantime, “Verizon Wireless’s proposed transfer presents a rare and curcial opportunity to deploy currently unused spectrum for wireless broadband.”

The letter can be read in full here.

Filed under: Broadband, Regulation, Technology