[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 38 (Tuesday, March 16, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S1615]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RADIO SPECTRUM INVENTORY ACT

  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I express my support for S. 649, the Radio 
Spectrum Inventory Act. I am joining as a cosponsor of this legislation 
because it is important to complete a comprehensive assessment of how 
we use our radio spectrum before we make decisions about how we want to 
use it in the future.
  As the FCC submits the Nation's first broadband plan to Congress, we 
have heard much about the need for allocating additional spectrum for 
the expansion of mobile broadband service. There is little question 
that rapidly expanding these networks is of critical importance--
especially in rural States like North Dakota, which rely on 21st-
century technology like mobile broadband to stay competitive.
  However, without a thorough understanding of how our public airwaves 
are currently being used, making a plan to reallocate spectrum would be 
putting the cart before the horse. For that reason, I strongly believe 
that the Congress should pass this legislation and policymakers should 
wait to review the results of the inventory it requires before 
decisions are made about how or where spectrum should be distributed 
for the expansion of mobile broadband services. This will allow us to 
shape spectrum policy in a more thoughtful manner.
  Just as the National Broadband Plan gives us for the first time a 
comprehensive plan for broadband deployment and use, the Radio Spectrum 
Inventory Act will provide for the first time a comprehensive map of 
how the public airwaves are used--for radio broadcasts, over-the-air 
television, mobile phones, public safety, and mobile broadband. There 
are too many users involved to move forward in a piecemeal way. 
Ultimately, spectrum reallocation is too important to rush.

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