Bush Administration to Order Spectrum Review

The Bush administration on Thursday plans to order a top to bottom year-long review of how to make more efficient use of coveted airwaves by the government and the wireless industry for everything from mobile telephone service to military operations, a senior administration official said. President Bush is expected to sign an executive memorandum that will direct the Commerce Department to undertake the review that will study ways to improve the management of the scarce resource that is used for commercial communications as well as the U.S. air traffic control system. “The review is a recognition of how important spectrum has become, not only to the domestic economy but to military and homeland security efforts,” said the senior administration official, declining further identification. The commercial industry has an almost insatiable appetite for more airwaves, especially the mobile telephone companies that want to offer high-speed Internet access service. But they have faced stiff competition from the U.S. government, which recently has had a growing need for spectrum to meet new security and military needs. Full Story