NTIA Issues Report Setting Path to Make Prime Spectrum Available

The Department of Commerce, through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), announced its finding that 95 megahertz (MHz) of prime spectrum could be repurposed for wireless broadband use. Reallocation of this spectrum would represent significant progress towards achieving President Obama’s goal to nearly double the amount of commercial spectrum available this decade. The President’s initiative will spur investment, economic growth, and job creation while supporting the growing demand by consumers and businesses for wireless broadband services. NTIA, working with federal agencies, evaluated the potential of the 1755–1850 MHz band to accommodate commercial wireless broadband service. This spectrum band is of great interest to the wireless industry. However, over 20 federal agencies currently hold more than 3,100 individual frequency assignments in this band to perform a host of mission-critical functions, including law enforcement surveillance, military tactical communications, air combat training, and precision-guided munitions. While NTIA’s analysis shows it is possible to repurpose all 95 MHz of spectrum for commercial wireless broadband, there are several challenges that need to be met before making a formal recommendation to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

NTIA proposes a new path forward for spectrum repurposing that relies on a combination of relocating federal users and sharing spectrum between federal agencies and commercial users. Spectrum sharing will be a vital component to satisfying the growing demand for spectrum, and federal and non-federal users will need to adopt innovative spectrum-sharing techniques to accommodate this demand. NTIA proposes convening discussions between industry and the relevant federal agencies under the auspices of the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee, with the goal of finding ways to work together through sharing or other means to reduce the time and expense of repurposing the 1755-1850 MHz band, while maintaining essential Federal capabilities and maximizing commercial utilization.


NTIA Issues Report Setting Path to Make Prime Spectrum Available