Tech Policy Podcast

#38: How Stuff Works - Spectrum 101

Episode Summary

Spectrum is everywhere, and we’re interacting with it almost constantly. Whether we’re using smartphones, tablets, bluetooth speakers, AM/FM radios or basically any WiFi device, we're relying on spectrum to send and receive information. Evan is joined by Brent Skorup, a research fellow at the Mercatus Center, a research center based at George Mason University. They discuss the history of spectrum from radios to smartphones. Were spectrum licenses really doled out through beauty and popularity contests? Are incentive auctions a better alternative?

Episode Notes

Spectrum is everywhere, and we’re interacting with it almost constantly. Whether we’re using smartphones, tablets, bluetooth speakers, AM/FM radios or basically any WiFi device, we're relying on spectrum to send and receive information. Evan is joined by Brent Skorup, a research fellow at the Mercatus Center, a research center based at George Mason University. They discuss the history of spectrum from radios to smartphones. Were spectrum licenses really doled out through beauty and popularity contests? Are incentive auctions a better alternative?