[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 25, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S5385]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. SNOWE (for herself and Mr. Warner):
  S. 3433. A bill to require a radio spectrum inventory of bands 
managed by the Federal Communications Commission and the National 
Telecommunications & Information Administration; to the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today, along with Senator Warner, to 
reintroduce the Radio Spectrum Inventory Act. Simply put, in order to 
make more spectrum available to meet the growing demand for wireless 
broadband and other radio-based services, decision makers at the FCC, 
NTIA, and Congress must have a clear, detailed, up-to-date 
understanding of how spectrum is currently being used and by whom--data 
essential to sound policy decisions.
  Specifically, the Radio Spectrum Inventory Act directs the National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, NTIA, the Federal 
Communications Commission, FCC, with assistance from the Office of 
Science and Technology, to create a comprehensive and accurate 
inventory of each spectrum band, at a minimum, between 300 Megahertz to 
6.5 Gigahertz. The information collected would include the licenses 
assigned in that band, number and type of end-user devices deployed, 
amount of deployed infrastructure, type of missions and activities 
supported in the band, as well as any relevant unlicensed end user 
devices operating in the band. This information is fundamental to 
constructing a comprehensive framework for spectrum policy.
  The Radio Spectrum Inventory Act also provides more transparency 
related to spectrum use by creating a centralized website or portal 
that would include relevant spectrum and license information accessible 
by the public. Given that radio spectrum is a public good, we are 
obligated to provide the public more clarity and accountability on how 
it is being utilized by both Federal and non-Federal licensees. But let 
me be clear, given the sensitive nature of some spectrum assignments 
and allocations, this bill makes the appropriate disclosure exceptions 
for spectrum utilized or reserved for national security and public 
safety activities.
  A comprehensive inventory is a critical step in reforming our 
spectrum policy and management. The FCC manages over 2 million active 
licenses and NTIA administers more than 450,000 frequency assignments. 
And while I appreciate the FCC's effort in conducting a ``baseline'' 
inventory and NTIA's evaluation--both the fast track and ten year 
plan--I do not believe they are sufficient substitutes to conducting a 
full inventory since those efforts were limited in scope and seemingly 
didn't capture or make available more detailed data on spectrum use.
  In addition, there has been a growing call for a comprehensive 
spectrum inventory from Members of Congress, former FCC officials, and 
industry--even the House Energy & Commerce Committee bipartisan Federal 
Spectrum Working Group requested what amounts to a complete inventory 
of Federal frequency assignments between 300 MHz and 3 GHz. But if we 
are to examine Federal use, we must also look at non-Federal use in 
order to gain a truly comprehensive picture and understanding of the 
heterogeneous spectrum ecosystem.
  The ultimate goals this legislation sets the path towards achieving 
are to implement more efficient use of spectrum and to locate 
additional spectrum to meet the future demands of all spectrum users--
commercial, Federal, and military. A comprehensive inventory would 
yield a significant amount more of data that would be extremely useful 
for conducting measurements, implementing more robust management, and 
developing greater strategic planning of spectrum resources.
  With the enactment of P.L. 112-96 earlier this year, Congress took a 
notable but incremental step in an effort to free up additional 
spectrum to meet the growing demand of wireless broadband. As I have 
stated before, I believe more can and must be done to meet the future 
needs of all spectrum users and properly address existing spectrum 
challenges. This includes a comprehensive spectrum inventory, more 
strategic and longterm planning of spectrum resources, and greater 
collaboration between the FCC and NTIA. In addition, we must also 
continually promote more investment in infrastructure and foster 
greater technical innovation. That is why I sincerely hope that my 
colleagues join Senator Warner and me in supporting this critical 
legislation and continuing our focus on implementing spectrum reform.
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