U.S. seeks to double wireless spectrum

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration said Monday that it wants to nearly double within 10 years the available amount of airwave space available for smartphones, high-speed video, laptop connections to the Internet and new wireless devices.

President Obama committed the government to auctioning off 500 megahertz of federal and commercial spectrum. Auction revenue would be spent on public safety, infrastructure investments, and deficit reduction.

The proposal may face resistance from television station owners such as CBS Corp. and News Corp.'s Fox Broadcasting, which gave up airwaves as part of their switch to digital signals last year and have sought to keep their remaining allocation. Wireless carriers led by AT&T Inc. are seeking a greater spectrum.

The capacity of U.S. wireless networks has been strained by the proliferation of devices such as Apple Inc.'s iPhone.

The president's plan, which requires legislation for Congress to approve, would draw on airwaves the administration considers underutilized.

"This new era in global technology leadership will only happen if there is adequate spectrum available to support the forthcoming myriad of wireless devices, networks, and applications that can drive the new economy," Obama wrote in a memo to the heads of federal agencies and departments.

The administration said it hoped to encourage the spread of wireless broadband across the country, including rural areas.

The auction is intended, in part, to counter fears of a potential "spectrum crunch" as smart phones and laptop computers become more popular and new wireless devices hit the market.

"This initiative will catalyze private-sector investment," Lawrence Summers, Obama's National Economic Council director, said in a speech here. The proposal will add to economic growth, raise government revenue, and "help to create hundreds of thousands of jobs," he said.