I propose the creation of a Federal Spectrum Service to address these issues. The FSS could be chartered as a corporate entity distinct from the government with a specific mandate, similar in concept to the Postal Service. The FSS’s charter would focus on the overriding goal of reducing the federal spectrum footprint by 50% over a five-year period, and then reducing it a further 50% over another five-year period.
Pointer from James Pethokoukis.
Nowadays, a large share of the available underutilized spectrum is controlled by government agencies, so this proposal may be on the right track. My own thinking was that we should privatize all of this spectrum, and then force the government agencies to lease it back. My rationale is that the government agencies might have to think about using spectrum more economically if they have to pay for it. But perhaps they would not show much price sensitivity.
I’d be mainly concerned about log-rolling between the government and whoever owns the spectrum. Would the leases have to made affirmative-action style? Are we merely funneling money to Sprint, Verizon et al?
I like a version of Arnold’s spectrum combined with Arnold’s common law legal system.
Suing for the government to enforce your spectrum ownership in numerous jurisdictions could be limited by your good will.
What if nobody “owned” spectrum? Somebody smart say something about Coase or something.
These are set by international treaty, due to propagation in the case of lower AM frequencies, and transmitter/receiver movement (aircraft, ships, satellites) in the case of higher FM frequencies, so good luck with that.
So is “international treaty” the new “politically infeasible”?