tinitrd ~tetrs ~rnetr 
WASHINGTON, DC 20510 
July 15, 2015 
Chairman Thomas Wheeler 
Federal Communications Commission 
445 12th Street SW 
Washington, DC 20554 
Dear Chairman Wheeler: 
We applaud the work of the Federal Communications Commission in conducting a 
successful auction of the AWS-3 band, which yielded historic revenues, and we are 
confident that the incentive auction will be met with similar success. As the Commission 
readies for its July 16 open meeting, we write to urge caution on the proposal to repack 
full power broadcasters in the "duplex gap" of the new 600 MHz service. 
A diverse coalition of broadcasters, tech companies, and consumer advocates have raised 
concerns that placing broadcasters in the duplex gap will complicate and inhibit live news 
reporting in major urban areas. Furthermore, the current proposal would deprive millions 
of Americans of the fu ll benefit of next generation unlicensed technologies, including 
Wi-Fi, enabled by making three channels available for unlicensed use on a national 
basis. 1 
As the Commission acknowledged in its May 2014 Order setting the framework for the 
incentive auction? the Spectrum Act of 2012 represents a carefully crafted compromise 
among many disparate goals. First and foremost, Congress directed the FCC to use a 
voluntary market mechanism to allocate valuable "low band" spectrum to meet our ever 
growing need for licensed mobile broadband capacity. Of equal importance, Congress 
requires the Commission to preserve the critical role free over-the-air broadcasters play in 
providing news- particularly local news and emergency information- to all Americans. 
Finally, Congress recognized that the FCC must continue to encourage innovation and 
meet the equally expanding demand for next generation unlicensed service by 
encouraging unlicensed spectrum access in the guard bands, including the duplex gap, on 
a non-interfering basis. 
It appears to be the consensus of a broad swath of stakeholders that the Commission 
should generally try to avoid placing broadcasters anywhere in the 600 MHz band when 
possible, but if the Commission must relocate a broadcaster to the 600 MHz band, it 
should place the broadcaster where its presence will cause the least amount of 
interference to 600 MHz I icensees. We urge you to adopt this broad industry consensus 
1 Letter of Broadcaster and Unlicensed Coalition (July 7, 201 5). Available at: 
http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=6000 1113542 
2 Expanding the Economic and Innovation Opportunities of Spectrum through Incentive 
Auctions, Report and Order, 29 FCC Red 6567 ("20 14 Framework Order"). 
of wireless bidders, broadcasters, tech companies, news organizations, and consumer 
groups. 
Preserving the duplex gap for nationwide unlicensed access and wireless microphone use 
will protect live news coverage and enable the development of next generation unlicensed 
technologies, which is essential to meet the goals ofthe Spectrum Act. Thank you for 
your consideration. 
CORY A. BOOKER 
United States Senator 
CHARLES E. SCHUMER 
United States Senator 
Sincerely, 
MARCO RUBIO 
United States Senator