January 5, 2011

Dear Senator:

As the Senate convenes the 112th Congress, we would like to take this opportunity to raise an issue that is critical
to furthering innovation and growing jobs in America: the need for additional spectrum for wireless
broadband. To meet this need, we urge Congress to swiftly pass legislation allowing the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) to conduct voluntary incentive auctions.

Spectrum is the fuel for innovation at the heart of the nation’s information and communications technology (ICT)
industry, and the need for additional spectrum is reaching a crisis point. U.S. mobile data traffic from
smartphones, tablets, and other wireless devices will increase from 25 to 50 times in the next five years. This
need has been highlighted in both the FCC’s “National Broadband Plan” released last spring and the “Presidential
Memorandum: Unleashing the Wireless Broadband Revolution” released last summer. Both of these documents
call for significant actions to be undertaken to release 500 MHz of spectrum within 10 years.

One mechanism to achieve the goal of freeing up 500 MHz of spectrum within 10 years which has begun to
garner broad support is for Congress to grant the FCC the authority to conduct voluntary incentive auctions.
These auctions will encourage existing licensees to relinquish spectrum so that it may be used for new wireless
broadband services. Large swaths of spectrum could be repurposed in the near term to meet the burgeoning
demand for broadband services. And the current spectrum licensees would benefit by receiving a portion of the
proceeds of auction, giving them incentive to relinquish their spectrum licenses.

Further, voluntary incentive spectrum auctions, as noted by the recent report from the “National Commission on
Fiscal Responsibility and Reform” in recommendation “4.6” would generate revenues for the federal Treasury.
The Commission recommendation specifically “encourages Congress to consider granting the FCC authority to
conduct incentive auctions to free up spectrum for commercial wireless providers, which the FCC estimates could
generate significant mandatory receipts.”

The undersigned appreciate your consideration, and stand ready to assist you in any way to swiftly pass voluntary
incentive auction legislation.

Sincerely,

The High Tech Spectrum Coalition

Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) Information Technology Industry Council (ITI)

Gary Shapiro, President Dean Garfield, President

Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)

Brian Toohey, President Grant Seiffert, President