The following statement is attributable to Julie Kearney, vice president of regulatory affairs, Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)^®, following comments filed today with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding voluntary broadcast spectrum auctions:

“More spectrum means better and more innovative wireless devices and services, more jobs, and a stronger U.S. economy. The FCC faces a monumental, but very achievable, task. We look forward to working with the FCC as it crafts the rules and procedures for this historic auction.”

In its comments, CEA urged the FCC to embrace four key principles to ensure a successful broadcast incentive auction:

1. Maximize Participation. The Commission should seek to maximize voluntary participation in both the reverse and forward auctions. High participation rates will drive the collection of more spectrum and auction revenues.
2. Adopt Simple and Straightforward Rules. The Commission should keep the auction rules and procedures as simple as possible. The auction is already likely to be the most complicated the Commission has operated; it should avoid unnecessarily complicating things further.
3. Balance Interests of All Parties. The Commission must strike the right balance between stakeholder interests in a way that recognizes all concerns but remains true to the goal of the Spectrum Act to free up spectrum in a timely manner.
4. Promote Innovation. As the Commission outlines the structure of the incentive auction and the 600 MHz band plan, it should reject calls to mandate interoperability or require certain technologies. Flexible use has a proven track record of promoting innovation, and the Commission should continue that policy.

CEA also offered in its comments specific feedback regarding implementation of the reverse and forward auctions, how to design the band plan, and recommendations for unlicensed use of recovered spectrum, among other issues.

About CEA:

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $209 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also owns and produces the International CES – The Global Stage for Innovation. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services. Find CEA online at www.CE.org, www.DeclareInnovation.com and through social media: https://www.facebook.com/#!/CEAfeed http://twitter.com/ceafeed http://blog.ce.org/.

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