The title of this post pretty much says it all.  The White House said Sunday that President Barack Obama will sign a presidential memorandum today committing the federal government to auctioning off 500 megahertz of federal and commercial spectrum.  This will nearly double the amount of available wireless spectrum and help meet the demands for high-speed video and data transmission to the seemingly ever increasing number of cell phones, laptops and other mobile devices.

The administration said it hopes to encourage the spread of wireless broadband across the country, including rural areas. The auction is intended, in part, to counter fears of a potential “spectrum crunch” as smart phones and laptop computers become more popular and new wireless devices hit the market.

[Via Associated Press]