NTIA outlines plan to re-allocate federal spectrum for broadband

The U.S. government today took an important first step toward freeing up spectrum for broadband wireless use. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration released a list of spectrum bands totaling more than 2200 MHz currently allocated for use by federal and non-federal users that will be reviewed for possible re-allocation.

The NTIA also earmarked four spectrum bands, totaling 115 MHz, that it believes can be fast tracked. Most of the spectrum could be available for broadband wireless use within five years, although one band would not be available until 2016. All of the fast-track spectrum is in federal hands or is allocated on a federal/ non-federal shared basis.

Fast-tracked bands

The spectrum bands that will be fast tracked include:

- the 1675-1710 MHz band, which is currently used for dissemination of weather information and alerts;
- the 1755-1780 MHz band, which is used by the Department of Defense, federal law enforcement and other agencies for surveillance and other operations;
- the 3500-3650 band, which is used by the DOD for radar applications; and
- the 4200-4220 and 4380-4400 MHz band, which is used for radio altimeters on aircraft. This is the band that would not be available until 2016.

The NTIA already has reviewed all of these bands to determine the feasibility of making them available for broadband use, except the 1755-1780 band, which the agency said would continue to be a priority for analysis.

The National Broadband Plan

The NTIA said its activities were driven by the National Broadband Plan, which proposes freeing up 500 MHz of spectrum within 10 years, including 300 MHz to be freed up within five years. http://connectedplanetonline.com/3g4g/news/fcc-auction-180-mhz-spectrum/index.html The NBP envisioned most of the new spectrum being reallocated from commercial licensees. But it also recommended freeing up approximately 60 MHz from federal sources.

Seeking support

In an editorial in the Wall Street Journal today, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and White House National Economic Council Larry Summers sought to elicit support for the re-allocation of spectrum for broadband. Noting that the amount of information flowing over some wireless networks is growing at more than 250% per year, they wrote, “Failure to relieve spectrum overcrowding not only threatens our economic growth, but our role as the world leader in wireless innovation.”

As the government looks to re-allocate various spectrum bands, it could opt to auction the spectrum or make it available on an unlicensed basis. The Wall Street Journal editorial suggests the government will lean toward the auction option. “Much of this newly available spectrum would be sold at auction to licensees,” Locke and Summers wrote. “But some amount would be unlicensed and free for anyone to use.”