Progress Report on Federal Spectrum Relocation

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) sent Congress a progress report on efforts to vacate certain wireless communications systems from the 1710 megahertz (MHz) to 1755 MHz radio spectrum that has been reallocated to commercial use.

A vast majority of Federal agencies report that they are meeting their original relocation timeframe and cost estimates. For example, a total of 146 systems (approximately 81 percent of the total systems) have relocated from the 1710-1755 MHz band. In addition, all Federal agencies’ systems that had relocation timeframes of 36 months or less have relocated.2 Seven out of the twelve agencies (Department of Treasury, Department of Homeland Security, United States Postal Service, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Transportation/ Federal Aviation Administration) have vacated the band entirely. Some agencies continue to spend SRF funds to complete their transition even after they have vacated the band, in order to reach comparable capability of systems relative to their pre-relocation operations, as authorized by the CSEA. During this reporting period three Federal agencies requested and were denied additional time by NTIA and OMB to relocate specific systems out of the band. The Department of the Interior requested additional time primarily due to the need to expand planning and analysis used in forming original estimates. The United States Department of Agriculture and Department of Energy requested additional time due to the fact that affected systems operate in remote locations with limited construction seasons due to adverse weather conditions. However, these agencies submitted compliance plans which were approved by OMB and NTIA for vacating the spectrum bands in coordination with the commercial licensees for those bands and are completing their relocation in accordance with those plans.

NTIA expects the five remaining agencies to complete their relocation from the 1710-1755 MHz band by April 2013. Specifically, the Department of Defense, Tennessee Valley Authority, United States Department of Agriculture, and most of the Department of Energy systems will relocate by April 2011. The remaining Department of Energy systems will relocate by April 2013. The Department of Interior will complete its relocation effort by April 2013.