The New York Times reports:
The government took the first steps today to permit companies to lease and trade radio spectrum licenses, a move that could result in improved service for the nation's millions of users of cellphones and other wireless devices.
....
The [FCC] extinguished a 40-year-old rule that had the effect of requiring the holder of a spectrum license to also control the physical infrastructure needed to use that piece of the spectrum--the antenna, the transmitter and the employees who run the operation. The rule was intended to ensure that the license holder be responsible for fixing signal interference and other problems.
Under the new rules, the holder of a license who is not making use of the spectrum will be able to lease it to another company that would provide the equipment and personnel.