Understanding Federal Spectrum Use

[Commentary] Today, within the so-called “beachfront spectrum” that best supports mobile uses (225 MHz to 3700 MHz), only 17 percent is allocated for exclusive federal use, compared with 31 percent for exclusive non-federal use and 52 percent for shared use. Such statistics, however, do not provide the full picture as there are frequencies that have been designated for federal use but are actually being employed predominantly for nonfederal uses (e.g., in the 902-928 MHz band). Furthermore, it is essential to understand that no single federal agency has exclusive access to the bands allocated for its use. In the 1755-1780 MHz band that the FCC recently sold as part of the AWS-3 auction, more than 15 different federal agencies providing 10 different types of services have been sharing this 25 megahertz segment. This differs from the common commercial licensing model, in which the licensee typically has exclusive use of the spectrum.

The National Telecommunications & Information Administration is working to understand the extent to which federal agencies are efficiently utilizing spectrum today, and to developing realistic steps to improve our overall use of limited spectrum resources in the future. However, our work is not without its challenges. The process of repurposing and relocating spectrum is complicated and time consuming—particularly given the numerous different systems that can be occupying a single band. It is for this reason, in part, that the Administration determined that it is imperative to develop greater capabilities for the sharing of spectrum between federal and nonfederal users. The recent achievements related to the 3.5 GHz spectrum demonstrate the promise of this approach. But in order to truly expand the opportunities that sharing provides, it is going to be necessary for all stakeholders to invest in the technologies that will make it possible. NTIA is committed to supporting innovation in the wireless sector by helping to make more spectrum available for commercial providers, while also ensuring federal agencies have the airwaves they need to perform important missions for the American people. We are also committed to working with all stakeholders who want to help us achieve this goal.