Expiry (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on 2014-10-27 22:10 (#2TR2) Shouldn't spectrum licences expire? Re: Expiry (Score: 1) by evilviper@pipedot.org on 2014-10-28 00:16 (#2TR8) Yes, broadcasters have to renew them all the time. Here's their website to renew licenses:http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/index.htm?job=homeTV broadcast licenses are 8 years. Narrow-band 2-way business radio licenses are 10 years. I don't know the specific term length or renewal fees for the incentive auction spectrum, and just the thought of looking through all those books full of legalese to find out already makes me feel nauseous.The auction price just gets them the initial license. The FCC generally recognizes users of spectrum as having a right to keep using it, as long as they're paying their fees, using it as efficiently as possible, and following whatever other restrictions and requirements have been set-out by the FCC or Congress. TV broadcasters aren't going to spend millions building their broadcasting infrastructure, if they might just suddenly lose their license. Similarly, wireless phone companies aren't going to spend billions building out their cell towers, if they might suddenly be rendered unusable.
Re: Expiry (Score: 1) by evilviper@pipedot.org on 2014-10-28 00:16 (#2TR8) Yes, broadcasters have to renew them all the time. Here's their website to renew licenses:http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/index.htm?job=homeTV broadcast licenses are 8 years. Narrow-band 2-way business radio licenses are 10 years. I don't know the specific term length or renewal fees for the incentive auction spectrum, and just the thought of looking through all those books full of legalese to find out already makes me feel nauseous.The auction price just gets them the initial license. The FCC generally recognizes users of spectrum as having a right to keep using it, as long as they're paying their fees, using it as efficiently as possible, and following whatever other restrictions and requirements have been set-out by the FCC or Congress. TV broadcasters aren't going to spend millions building their broadcasting infrastructure, if they might just suddenly lose their license. Similarly, wireless phone companies aren't going to spend billions building out their cell towers, if they might suddenly be rendered unusable.