There are two big issues with this “fractionation” of the electromagnetic spectrum for use in wireless voice and data communications. First, is it necessary? Congestion can often be solved be building more smaller less-powerful less-intrusive cells without the need of additional spectrum allocation. Carriers don’t like this solution: it requires capital outlay without the benefit of gaining control of a finite public resource.

Second, it require consumers to purchase new hardware, often with accompanying extension in service contracts, to utilize the new frequencies. As more frequency chunks are made available, hardware will become increasingly frequency locked to a specific carrier: good for carriers, not so much for consumers. Of course the FCC could rectify the situation by insisting that all mobile phones, for instance, certified for use in the U.S. are firmware configurable to work with any carrier’s mix of frequencies. You don’t hear that in the FCC’s plans which tells you who’s running the show in Washington.