TV stations offer to sell enough spectrum to meet FCC target

The Federal Communications Commission yesterday said it reached its greatest hopes for the amount of spectrum it would be able to offer to wireless carriers in an auction set to begin late May.

Television stations rushed in with promises to sell enough of the valuable airwaves they used for broadcast programming to hit the agency's maximum target for the auction.

The airwaves would be reconfigured for the next generation of wireless services for mobile phones, cars and other devices that would connect to the internet.

The auction had attracted attention due to the kind of spectrum that was becoming available  - low-band spectrum valued for its ability to penetrate thick walls and travel long distances.

The sale of such choice spectrum was rare, after the last auction in this band category having been held in 2008, and no plans for similar offerings in the near future.

''Today's announcement reflects the voluntary decision by many broadcasters that this auction truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,'' Tom Wheeler, the FCC chairman, said in a statement.

In an e-mailed order yesterday,  the FCC set aside an initial clearing target of 126 megahertz in the two-stage sale.

The figure ensured that ''bidders have their chance to compete for the maximum amount of low-band 'beachfront' spectrum," or airwaves particularly suited for wireless devices, Wheeler said in an e-mailed statement. ''The broadcasters have stepped up and done their part."

Broadcasters had been given time till last month to tell the FCC in confidence if they wanted to sell airwaves.

The sale would help meet the growing demand from smartphone users by diverting airwaves now with TV stations. They would receive payment for releasing frequencies voluntarily. 

In many cases broadcasters can share airwaves with other stations or move to new frequencies.