The Telecommunications Industry Association is backing The American Broadband for Communities Act, saying rural communities would be among those that benefit.

The legislation — sponsored by Representatives Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Paul Gillmor (R-Ohio) and Rick Boucher (D-Va.) — would release spectrum that is unused by broadcasters for unlicensed wireless devices. This would expand wireless broadband and home networking services and help bridge the digital divide in remote, rural areas served by independent telcos, the TIA said in a letter backing the proposal.

The legislation targets broadcast television spectrum in the band between 54 MHz and 698 MHz, but does not include the slot from 608 MHz through 614 MHz. It would allow wireless equipment manufacturers to design unlicensed, intuitive equipment, which could identify what spectrum is in use in an area and utilize only the unused portion.

In the letter to the representatives, the TIA said the bill “would provide significant benefits to the public by increasing competition in the wireless broadband industry and provide incentives for the development of new and innovative broadband devices and services for businesses and consumers.”

Unlicensed broadband to rural areas is one of the many benefits that can result from efficient use of the spectrum, said Danielle Jafari, TIA director and legal counsel of government affairs. “Rural areas benefit from the wireless broadband that will be able to use that spectrum. That's huge because it's these high-cost areas that are hard to build out to.”

The American Broadband for Communities Act also lets the FCC draft technical requirements for unlicensed devices in the broadcast bands that would protect broadcast stations.

“If they issue this unlicensed spectrum, you're going to see the next wave of truly … personal broadband where you have devices or notebooks, cell phones or smartphones that have really high-speed broadband going to [them],” said Jeff Thompson, president and CEO of TowerStream, a fixed wireless broadband provider.

“The fact that it would be unlicensed would enable us to get this out there quicker, and it would be exciting,” Thompson said.

The spectrum is considered superior because it can more easily penetrate walls and other obstacles, thereby increasing coverage. Some studies have estimated there is more than 150 MHz of spectrum in Anchorage, Alaska, and Honolulu, which could be used by unlicensed devices for wireless services. This empty spectrum, sometimes known as white space, could help rural customers obtain easier, cheaper access to broadband.

“It's just opening up those white spaces,” Jafari said. “We love spectrum — we're huge proponents of it just because of what our member companies can do with it. In rural areas, you're going to have huge societal and education and public-safety issues, you name it. There are so many benefits to coming up with public spectrum, always.”