Support H.R. 1320, the Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act

July 15, 2003

The Honorable Bill Frist
Majority Leader
United States Senate
SD-461 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-4205

Dear Majority Leader Frist:

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world's largest business federation, representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region, urges you to support H.R. 1320, the Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act of 2003. Furthermore, we urge you to support the removal of language added during the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee mark-up, which exempts the 12.2-12.7 GHz spectrum band from the normal auction process.

This legislation would clear a major hurdle in the ongoing effort to make more spectrum available for advanced wireless services and applications. The act would establish a mechanism for reimbursing incumbent federal spectrum users for their relocation costs when their spectrum is reallocated for commercial use. The trust fund would ensure the safe and efficient transition of governmental operations from one spectrum location to another, while creating new opportunities for innovation in the wireless sector.

The creation of a spectrum relocation trust fund represents an important step in the difficult process of reforming our nation's spectrum allocation and management policies. We believe that this legislation is a "must pass" reform provision, and that efforts to circumvent the standard auction process should be considered individually and based on their own merit.

Sincerely,
R. Bruce Josten
Executive Vice President, Government Affairs
U.S. Chamber of Commerce

cc: Senator Tom Daschle, Minority Leader
Senator John McCain, Chairman, Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
Senator Fritz Hollings, Ranking Member, Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation