NTIA Seeks Comment on Development of a National Spectrum Strategy

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issued a Request for Comments (RFC) seeking public input on the development of a comprehensive, long-term National Spectrum Strategy. The strategy must accomplish several goals, including increasing spectrum access, improving spectrum sharing, enhancing spectrum management, and leveraging ongoing research and development activities. The National Spectrum Strategy must also help to improve the competitiveness of both our terrestrial and space-related technology industries. The RFC points to the complementary goals of Space Policy Directive-3 (SPD-3), which President Trump issued this past summer. SPD-3 calls on the United States to improve policies, processes and technologies for spectrum use to address challenges posed by orbital congestion and radiofrequency interference in space. NTIA is seeking recommended actions as well as information that can improve our understanding of the issues raised in the presidential memorandum and the spectrum-related portions of SPD-3. All interested parties are invited to comment

The request for comments is another step in fulfilling President Trump’s call for development of a national spectrum strategy as announced on Oct. 25, 2018. NTIA sent a letter to federal agencies in Nov 2018 asking them to report on their future spectrum needs over the next 15 years.