<P> Commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) providers, including all mobile phone carriers, are subject to spectrum and wireless regulations under Title III (similar to broadcasters) as well as common carrier regulations under Title II (similar to wireline telephone carriers), except as provided by the FCC . </P> <P> Beginning in 1994, the FCC has usually assigned commercial spectrum licenses through the use of competitive bidding, i.e., spectrum auctions . These auctions have raised tens of billions of dollars for the U.S. Treasury, and the FCC's auction approach is now widely emulated throughout the world . The FCC typically obtains spectrum for auction that has been reclaimed from other uses, such as spectrum returned by television broadcasters after the digital television transition, or spectrum made available by federal agencies able to shift their operations to other bands . </P> <P> Normally, any intentional radio transmission requires an FCC license pursuant to Title III . However, in recent decades the FCC has also opened some spectrum bands for unlicensed operations, typically restricting them to low power levels conducive to short - range applications . This has facilitated the development of a very wide range of common technologies from wireless garage door openers, cordless phones, and baby monitors to Wi - Fi and Bluetooth among others . However, unlicensed devices--like most radio transmission equipment--must still receive technical approval from the FCC before being sold into the marketplace, including to ensure that such devices cannot be modified by end users to increase transmit power above FCC limits . </P> <P> "White spaces" are radio frequencies that went unused after the federally mandated transformation of analog TV signal to digital . On October 15, 2008, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin announced his support for the unlicensed use of white spaces . Martin said he was "hoping to take advantage of utilizing these airwaves for broadband services to allow for unlicensed technologies and new innovations in that space ." </P>

The original purpose of radio broadcast in the united states was to provide