Pentagon Offers Compromise on Spectrum Sought by Wireless Carriers

The Defense Department has offered to compromise with wireless carriers in a fight over valuable spectrum now used for purposes like training pilots in the Pentagon's drone program.

At issue is the government's first substantial auction of airwave rights in half a decade. Carriers have been pressing regulators to include spectrum in the 1755 to 1780 megahertz bands in the coming auction. In a letter to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration filed with the Federal Communications Commission, the military said it can largely relocate out of those bands "while ensuring no loss of critical DOD capabilities." The position is a turnabout for the Defense Department, which previously had expressed concerns about making room for carriers, saying it could impact military operations, particularly for air combat training systems. Drone training programs would also be affected.