Back to the Spectrum Future: The 20th Anniversary of the Spectrum Policy Task Force

Public Knowledge has released its newest white paper, “Back to the Spectrum Future: The 20th Anniversary of the Spectrum Policy Task Force,” by Public Knowledge Policy Counsel Kathleen Burke. The paper proposes adopting a backcasting model rooted in core public interest principles to help guide our spectrum policymakers toward a wireless future that serves and includes all Americans. It argues that a value-based spectrum policy framework allows us to envision a future where everyone has access to reliable and affordable telecommunications services – and then provides a path toward it. This paper applies the proposed public interest backcasting model to two key issues that the SPTF addressed: (1) spectrum efficiency and (2) spectrum access models. The paper also addresses two blind spots that the SPTF failed to consider: (1) the stakeholder dynamic and its zero-sum game fallacy and (2) spectrum policy’s impact on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Policymakers must consider these aspects of spectrum policy if they hope to create a wireless future that benefits everyone.