We’re Running Out of Spectrum for Both New and Old Technologies

We want our radio and TV broadcasts and cellphone reception to just work. Who cares how? But now might be a good time to start caring. New technologies will require frequency bandwidth, leading to clashes between new, shiny innovations and older technologies we still need but take for granted. These conflicts will only happen more often in the future. Bandwidth is a finite resource, our demand for its use is only increasing, and much of the spectrum has already been apportioned. Spectrums currently in use for broadcasting or telecommunications were selected because they’re optimal for their intended purposes, and though some new tech may try to make use of less popular bands, inevitably, there will be competition. Basically, most of the good spectrum bands are taken, yet demand for them will continue to grow. “The iron laws of physics being what they are, we are simply not making more,” says FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. “So the challenge is to use spectrum we have more efficiently. That also means we have to rethink how we allocate our airwaves.”