Spectrum Sharing Innovation Test-bed    

Background

In May 2003, President Bush established the Spectrum Policy Initiative to promote the development and implementation of a United States spectrum policy for the 21st Century.  In response to the Spectrum Policy Initiative, the Secretary of Commerce established a Federal Government Spectrum Task Force and initiated a series of public meetings to address policies affecting spectrum use by the federal, state, and local governments, and the private sector.  The recommendations resulting from these activities were included in two reports released by the Secretary of Commerce in June 2004.  Based on the recommendations contained in these reports, the President directed the federal agencies on November 30, 2004, to plan the implementation of the recommendations contained in the reports. 

One of these recommendations stated that NTIA and the Federal Communications Commission, in coordination with the federal agencies are to establish a Test-Bed to examine the feasibility of increased sharing between federal and non-federal users.  The recommendation to establish the Test-Bed Pilot Program recognized that the increased use of spectrum for federal and non-federal communications necessitates increased sharing to benefit both federal and non-federal users of the spectrum. 

On June 8, 2006, NTIA published a Notice of Inquiry in the Federal Register seeking public comment on issues related to the Test-Bed. 

Test-Bed Pilot Program Description

The Test-Bed Pilot Program will evaluate the ability of Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) devices employing spectrum sensing and/or geo-location techniques to share spectrum with land mobile radio systems operating in the 410-420 MHz band.  The Test-Bed Pilot Program will be performed in three phases:

Phase 1 – Equipment Characterization.  Equipment employing DSA techniques will be sent to the NTIA Institute for Telecommunication Sciences in Boulder, Colorado and characterization measurements of the DSA capabilities in response to simulated environmental signals will be performed.

Phase 2 – Evaluation of Capabilities.  After successful completion of Phase 1, the DSA capabilities of the equipment in the geographic area of the Test-Bed will be evaluated.

Phase 3 – Field Operation Evaluation.  After successful completion of Phase 2, the DSA equipment will be permitted to transmit in an actual radio frequency signal environment.  An automatic signal logging capability will be used during the operation of the Test-Bed to help resolve interference events if they occur.  A point-of-contact will also be established to stop Test-Bed operations if interference is reported

Federal Register: Notice of Inquiry: The President’s Spectrum Policy Initiative Spectrum Sharing Innovation Test-Bed
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Posted: 06-06-2006

Press Release NTIA Seeks Public Comment on Creation of Spectrum Sharing Innovation Test-Bed
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Posted: 06-07-2006

Public Comments Received:

• Cingular Wireless LLC
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• CTIA – The Wireless Association®
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• Adapt4, LLC
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• Motorola, Inc.
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• National Public Safety Telecommunications Council
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• Progeny LMS, LLC
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• Software Defined Radio Forum
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• Shared Spectrum Company
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• National Association for Amateur Radio, also known as the American Radio Relay League, Inc.
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• TerreStar Networks, Inc.
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• M2Z Networks, Inc.
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• Information Technology Industry Council
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• Rockwell Collins Inc
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• Aerospace & Flight Test Radio Coordinating Council (Acrobat PDF 568 Kb)
  

The public comments were reviewed by the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (CSMAC), which was established as part the Presidential Spectrum Policy Initiative to advise the Assistant Secretary of Communications and Information, Department of Commerce, on needed reforms to spectrum policies and management to enable the introduction of new spectrum dependent technologies and services.  NTIA also sought comments from the federal agencies on the Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC).  The public comments as well as the comments provided by the CSMAC and the IRAC were used to develop the federal portion of the Test-Bed Pilot Program.

Press Release: Commerce’s NTIA Seeks Participants for Spectrum Sharing Innovation Test-Bed: NTIA announced today in a public notice that the agency will be soliciting participation in the Spectrum Sharing Innovation Test-Bed which will study the feasibility of increased spectrum sharing between federal and commercial users. Participants must notify NTIA of their interest by Feb. 29, 2008.
• Press Release (Printable version PDF 24 Kb)
• Federal Register: Notice of Solicitation of Participation (Adobe PDF 56 Kb)
Posted: 02-05-2008

Test-Bed Participants:

• Adapt4 LLC
• Adaptrum Inc.
• BAE Systems
• Motorola Inc.
• Shared Spectrum Company
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Posted: 05-20-2008