, Columnist
To Improve Wireless Networks, Auction the Airwaves
People are watching TV on devices, so mobile companies need more spectrum and broadcasters need less. Here's how to get there.
Buy the blue stuff.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Airwaves are a limited resource. There are only so many frequencies over which information can travel, and once they’re packed full, any new transmissions will interfere with the old ones. That’s why supposedly “unlimited” wireless plans typically throttle users who watch too many videos.
The Federal Communications Commission regulates U.S. wireless spectrum the way zoning boards regulate land use. Different frequencies are earmarked for specific purposes and licensed to individual companies.