CONCURRING STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER AJIT PAI Re: Policies Regarding Mobile Spectrum Holdings, WT Docket No. 12-269; Expanding the Economic and Innovation Opportunities of Spectrum Through Incentive Auctions, GN Docket No. 12-268. Fifteen months ago, I dissented from the Commission’s decision to set aside spectrum for certain preferred bidders. 1 Our record in the proceeding, as well domestic and international experience, shows that spectrum reserves do not produce long-term benefits for wireless competition. Set-asides also impose severe costs, including significant delays in the deployment of spectrum for consumers’ benefit and substantially less revenue for critical national priorities. 2 Canada’s recent AWS-3 auction is a case in point. The set-aside spectrum in that auction sold for less than 4% of the price of the unreserved spectrum ($0.11 per MHz-pop compared to $3.02 per MHz-pop). 3 Given this context, I do not support expanding the FCC’s spectrum reserves. Accordingly, I agree with the outcome of this Order and will concur in the result. 1 See Policies Regarding Mobile Spectrum Holdings, Expanding the Economic and Innovation Opportunities of Spectrum Through Incentive Auctions, WT Docket No. 12-269, Docket No. 12-268, Report and Order, 29 FCC Rcd 6133, 6268 (2014) (Dissenting Statement of Commissioner Ajit Pai), available at http://go.usa.gov/3fvgd. 2 See, e.g., Opening Remarks of FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai, Mobile Future Forum, “Designing for Auction Success: Lessons Learned from Around the World,” http://go.usa.gov/3fv49 (Apr. 24, 2014). 3 See, e.g., Jeff Lagerquist, BNN.ca, “Handouts for new carriers ‘underscore government’s inefficient spectrum strategy’: Canaccord” (Mar. 6, 2015), available at http://bit.ly/1wSKnyh.