Blair Levin gives insight to National Broadband Plan

Blair Levin, former executive director of the Omnibus Broadband Initiative at the Federal Communications Commission, spoke about some of the issues that were included and not included in the writing of the National Broadband Plan. He picked out three key initiatives in the National Broadband Plan: spectrum appropriation, the unbundling of cable systems, and universal service.

Levin predicted that there will be a spectrum crunch in the United States by the middle of this decade. The allocation of spectrum can take years to implement, and the current idea of "you keep what you own" makes it difficult to free up spectrum. Additionally, technologies like the iPad, smartphones, and other mobile broadband applications are increasing the amount of spectrum users. He proposed that the FCC should regulate spectrum and provide incentives to spectrum holders who are not using their spectrum at maximized efficiency and capacity. He said that the under-utilization of spectrum is restricting spectrum for other uses, and encourages an incentive auction of spectrum, because "Under current law, nobody wins. The American people lose out."