Before the
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20554

In the matter of

Service Rules for the 698-746,
747-762, and 777-792 MHZ Bands, WT Docket No. 06-150

Implementing a Nationwide, Broadband,
Interoperable Public Safety Network in the
700 MHZ Band, PS Docket No. 06-229

Implementation of the Commercial Spectrum
Enhancement Act and Modernization of the
Commission’s Competitive Bidding Rules
and Procedures , WT Docket No. 05-211

Development of Operational, Technical, and 
Spectrum Requirements for Meeting Federal,
State and Local Public Safety Communications
Requirements Through 2010, WT Docket No. 96-86

EX PARTE COMMENTS OF THE
AD HOC PUBLIC INTEREST SPECTRUM COALITION

SUMMARY

The auction of licenses in the 700 MHz band presents the Commission with a unique and critical opportunity to bring broadband to American consumers and to open an avenue for com-petitive broadband providers. The upcoming 700 MHz auction is, without question, the best op-portunity to open a legitimate "third pipe" for consumer broadband connectivity—long a goal of the Commission. Given the state of the market failure in US broadband and our unenviable posi-tion relative to international performance in broadband connections, a pro-competitive policy in the 700 MHz auction is imperative.

The groups who have joined together in this "Ad Hoc Public Interest Spectrum Coalition" urge the FCC to adopt our recommendations in order to maximize the opportunities for new, competitive entrants and promote greater broadband access in the United States. We recommend that the FCC require that a portion of the auctioned licenses be subject to a service condition of open access. This will create a competitive retail market for wireless broadband services in a national marketplace. It will bring innovative, competitive providers into the market that would otherwise never appear.

To view the entire comments, please see the PDF document linked below.