On November 30, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) entitled “Innovation in the Broadcast Television Bands: Allocations, Channel Sharing and Improvements to VHF” - the first major step in the FCC’s efforts to begin implementation of recommendations made in the National Broadband Plan to reallocate some of the spectrum currently licensed to TV broadcasters for wireless broadband use. The Notice proposes new co-primary allocations for fixed and mobile broadband services in the TV band, explores possible rule changes that would allow more than one station to share a single 6 MHz allotment (but still maintain must-carry rights) and asks for comment on ways to improve the VHF band. Comments in this proceeding are expected to be due sometime in early 2011.

Regardless of any possible rule changes made by this proceeding, the FCC would still need authority from Congress before it could move forward with any incentive spectrum auction – the mechanism by which some stations could return spectrum to the government for reallocation.

Read the Notice here.