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Bipartisan Committee Leaders Comment on Incentive Auction’s Conclusion

February 15, 2017

WASHINGTON, DC – Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR), Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Subcommittee Ranking Member Mike Doyle (D-PA), issued the following statement after last week's conclusion of the FCC's incentive auction.

"The incentive auction's conclusion with more than $19 billion in bids marks the end of the second largest auction and years of successful work in bringing market forces to bear on spectrum use policy," said Walden, Pallone, Blackburn, and Doyle. "The broadcast incentive auction revolutionized the way that our nation makes spectrum allocation decisions by empowering broadcasters, businesses, networks, and consumers alike. Not only did the auction successfully encourage investment and competition by bringing 70 MHz of licensed and 14 MHz of unlicensed spectrum to meet our nation's wireless broadband needs, but also generated $7 billion for deficit reduction. We thank the broadcasters and wireless bidders that ensured the auction was a success and are looking forward to the FCC working expeditiously to repack the remaining broadcasters without disruption to consumers. We will continue to work together to free up our airwaves and usher in the future of wireless broadband."