|
Untitled document
By Congressman Charles F. Bass
Published for NH Patch websites, April 3, 2012
Earlier this year, as part of the extension of the payroll tax holiday, Congress passed a bipartisan measure that will have long-term economic benefits for both New Hampshire and the nation: spectrum reform legislation. Spectrum is the invisible infrastructure that connects our smartphones and tablets to the world, and it powers the vibrant and innovative economic sector that is wireless broadband.
As a member of the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, I have been working hard throughout the 112th Congress to find a bipartisan solution to unleash this spectrum. Estimated to create hundreds of thousands of jobs, the legislation will free up swaths of spectrum for innovation in the wireless broadband space. What's more, its passage provides for the next generation of public safety communications and is expected to reduce the deficit by $15 billion.
To grapple with the speed of innovation in this space, remember where we were just a decade ago: flip-phones and text messages were the cutting edge, and the app store was just a glimmer in Steve Jobs' eye. Today, 93 percent of Americans have cell phones, and the number of smartphones in use will double by 2015 to over 200 million. Text messaging? We now have the ability to video-chat with our loved ones with one simple screen touch. And, a mere five years after the introduction of the iPhone, the number of applications created is close to reaching one million. Who would have thought 10 years ago that the so-called "app economy" would be responsible for the creation of almost half a million jobs? And that is just one example of how spectrum has helped create jobs that once never existed.
Of course, with the emergence of new device platforms, data consumption has increased: compared to a basic cell phone, a smartphone uses a hearty 35 times the data, and a tablet uses a whopping 121 times the data. By 2015, our nation's monthly data usage will be the equivalent of sending 229 million DVDs over the Internet. Without bringing new spectrum in the marketplace, mobile data demand will exceed available capacity by next year and will reach a deficit by 2014. This so called "spectrum crunch" will lead to greater congestion on our networks, longer download times, and higher costs.
Faced with this reality, I am pleased to have helped craft and support the Jumpstarting Opportunities with Broadband Spectrum (JOBS) Act into becoming law. In addition to providing our first responders with the spectrum they need to construct a nationwide broadband interoperable public safety communications network, the JOBS Act's core feature is that it will bring additional spectrum to auction.
Spectrum auctions will garner tens of billions of dollars in auction revenues, generate significant investment in the build-out of the next generation wireless infrastructure, and provide the bandwidth for continued wireless Internet innovation. According to one study, spectrum legislation will generate $25 billion to $53 billion in investment, produce $73 billion to $151 billion in GDP growth, and create as many as 770,000 jobs.
As part of my outreach to businesses and my commitment to finding ways to make it easier for them to grow and create jobs, I will be hosting Google, Facebook, and Yelp in Concord on Friday, April 6 so that Granite State small businesses can learn how to best leverage the online platforms of these companies and connect with potential customers on-the-go. With this know-how, and the additional wireless bandwidth in the pipeline, New Hampshire's economy can continue to grow and thrive.
For more information about my Small Business Social Media Forum, please click here.
U.S. Rep. Charles F. Bass represents New Hampshire's Second District in Congress.
|
