U.S. FCC Chairman defends net neutrality rules

BARCELONA (Reuters) - The top watchdog of the U.S. telecommunications market defended new rules that will tighten regulation over the country's broadband providers as necessary to defend consumers' interests and openness on the Internet.

Speaking at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Tuesday, Tom Wheeler, the head of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission said that some in the industry exaggerated when they said the moves would harm them or cripple innovation on the web.

"One of the tragedies" of net neutrality debate has been people invoking "imaginary horribles," he said, adding that the FCC would not interfere the telecom or cable groups' businesses.

Separately, Wheeler said the U.S. will hold its next auction of 600 megahertz spectrum in first quarter of next year.

"If I am invited back to this show next year, there will be a spectrum auction ongoing in the US at that time," he said.

"We will hold for the first time in the world an incentive auction in which we seek to buy back 600 megahertz spectrum from broadcasters and repackage it to sell to the wireless industry."

(Reporting by Leila Abboud and Alina Selyukh; Editing by Harro Ten Wolde)