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CTIA urges Obama Administration to fund wireless spectrum initiatives

CTIA-The Wireless Association President and CEO Steve Largent sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to dedicate plenty of budget to opening up wireless spectrum.

Specifically, Mr. Largent applauded the president?s support on spectrum based on the Federal Communications Commission?s National Broadband Plan and urged him to ensure that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has enough budgetary resources to begin the process of identifying and clearing spectrum.

Getting the industry more spectrum benefits consumers, improves Federal communications capabilities, creates jobs and boosts the economy?all in a fiscally responsible manner, per CTIA.

As the president, his administration and Congress complete their work on the 2011 appropriations process, and as the administration builds its budget proposal for fiscal 2012, CTIA asserted that NTIA must have the resources necessary to accomplish the wireless spectrum planning and management activities.

Here is Mr. Largent?s letter to President Obama:

Dear Mr. President:

On behalf of CTIA?The Wireless Association, which represents wireless carriers and their suppliers, as well as providers and manufacturers of wireless data services and products, I am writing to thank you for your recent expression of support for the spectrum goals set forth in the National Broadband Plan issued by the Federal Communications Commission, and to urge you to support efforts to ensure that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration has sufficient budgetary resources to help begin the process of identifying and clearing spectrum.

In your June 28 remarks on the National Broadband Plan, you stated that ensuring America?s global technology leadership in mobile wireless broadband ?will only happen if there is adequate spectrum available to support the forthcoming myriad of wireless devices, networks, and applications that can drive the new economy.?

CTIA agrees with your assessment and supports the subsequent action you took to direct the Secretary of Commerce, working through the NTIA to identify and allocate an additional 500 MHz of spectrum for commercial use over the next 10 years.

This effort is critical to the long-term health of America?s wireless industry, one of the most vibrant and innovative sectors of our economy.

Mr. President, with your leadership, the spectrum allocation goals outlined in the FCC?s National Broadband Plan can become a reality that benefits consumers, improves Federal communications capabilities, creates jobs, boosts the economy and achieves all of these objectives in a fiscally responsible manner.

An important first step in that effort is ensuring that NTIA has the resources it needs in order to accomplish the spectrum planning and management activities that will be critical to realization of the spectrum vision articulated in the National Broadband Plan.

We urge attention to this need as your Administration works with Congress to complete work on the 2011 appropriations process and as your Administration builds its budget proposal for fiscal 2012.

CTIA stands ready to assist your Administration, the Congress, and the Commission to ensure that these goals become a reality.

Sincerely,
Steve Largent

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