Spectrum and Wireless Policy

As the President's principal adviser on telecommunications policy issues, NTIA's proposes and analyzes Administration policy on a wide variety of issues regarding radio spectrum and wireless devices. NTIA's Office of Spectrum Management is responsible for the management of spectrum used by Federal Government agencies and related policies. The Office of Policy Analysis and Development addresses the regulatory, economic, and commercial aspects of non-federal as well as federal spectrum use, regarding such matters as incentives for more efficient use, and uses including commercial mobile (cellular) telecommunications, broadcast spectrum, private radio, and Wi-Fi and other license exempt (unlicensed) spectrum operations.

The President's Spectrum Policy Initiative

Spectrum Management Reform: President Bush signed an executive memorandum on May 29, 2003 to begin an Administration initiative to reform radio spectrum policies. The goal is to better manage the Nation's airwaves, enhance homeland and economic security; increase benefits to consumers and ensure U.S. leadership in high-tech innovations. The President's memorandum established the Federal Government Spectrum Task Force, composed of representatives from a number of federal departments and agencies. In June 2004, following a series of public events and a public inquiry, NTIA issued two reports with recommendations to improve spectrum management. The Task Force released Report 1, and Report 2 included recommendations from state and local governments and private sector responders. On November 30, 2004, the President requested in an executive memorandum that the Department of Commerce submit a plan to implement the reports recommendations.

Market Incentives to Increase Efficiency

Spectrum is a limited natural resource for which there are many competing users and uses. Soaring demand for spectrum caused by new technologies and growth in wireless services has led to increasing competition for frequencies, sometimes between commercial providers and government agencies providing crucial public services. Market-based spectrum management employs the same tools used to allocate other resources by unleashing the value of the spectrum through a less centralized management process that creates economic incentives to encourage efficient use.

The Federal Communications Commission has adopted many market-based incentives, including auctions and greater flexibility to licensees, for non-government users.  

Report 1 and Report 2 of the President's Spectrum Policy Initiative each recommended that NTIA:

• Improve federal agencies’ processes and procedures to better consider the economic value of spectrum when investing in spectrum-dependent systems

• Identify and create incentives for efficiency, and specifically:
  
  
  • Develop and implement, with the agencies, a plan to use incentives to encourage efficient and effective spectrum use, including methods or models to determine spectrum value
    
    
  • Encourage Congress to enact incentive authorities
    
    
  • Use that authority to develop increased spectrum incentives, and
    
    
  • Examine, with the FCC, modifying spectrum rights to encourage efficiency

Project G of the NTIA’s Implementation Plan for the recommendations of the President’s initiative identified the following tasks, which have been assigned to OPAD:

Task G.3 – Develop a Plan to Identify and Implement Incentives for Improving Efficiency in Federal Agencies’ Spectrum Use

Task G.4 – Promote the Implementation of a Wide Range of Incentives to Improve the Efficiencies of Both Government and Private Sector Spectrum Use

NTIA identified a number of projects to identify and implement incentives in its: Plan to Identify and Implement Incentives that Promote More Efficient and Effective Use of Spectrum [ PDF ]

Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (CSMAC)  The CSMAC provides NTIA expertise and advice on how to enable new technologies and services, including reforms that expedite the American public’s access to broadband services, public safety, digital television, and long-range spectrum planning. Its charter states that it will act as a liaison between the stakeholders represented by the membership and the federal government, and it also may provide a forum for discussing current and emerging issues in spectrum management, spectrum policy, reform and technology.  For more information, please visit the CSMAC Web Page.

Events and Conferences

• Improving Spectrum Management through Economic or Other Incentives: NTIA sponsored a workshop on Improving Spectrum Management through Economic or Other Incentives on February 28 - March 1, 2006 at the National Academy of Sciences. The workshop elicited views and proposals regarding the use of economic or other incentives to increase spectrum management efficiency. Session topics included spectrum valuation, rights and secondary markets, sharing and fees
  Agenda [ -- HTML -- Acrobat PDF -- ]
  
  
• Public Events: As part of the spectrum initiative, NTIA organized a series of public events in Washington D.C. and Santa Clara, California.
  
  
• Wireless Innovations Showcase and Conference: In May 2003, NTIA, in cooperation with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the U.S. Department of State's Office of International Communications and Information Policy (CIP), hosted a two-day Wireless Innovations Conference. The first day was a technology showcase organized by the FCC, attended by Commerce Secretary Don Evans, Ambassador Janice Obuchowski, FCC Chairman Michael Powell, and Assistant Secretary Nancy Victory among others. This showcase included live demonstrations of cutting edge wireless technologies and applications for policy makers and members of the public. The second day featured panel discussions among key policy makers, entrepreneurs, industry representatives, and experts from government and academia. Discussions centered on such topics as the current market for Wi-Fi and other unlicensed services, security and privacy issues, spectrum and related issues, and international issues.
  
  
• NTIA Spectrum Summit: In April 2002, NTIA held a two-day Spectrum Summit in order to identify the best solutions to challenges posed by management of the nation's airwaves. In a number of open discussions, panelists and attendees addressed issues including spectrum allocation and efficiency, the spectrum requirements of new technologies, and regulatory processes. This summit represented a key step through which NTIA, the Federal Communications Commission and federal agencies began working together to make spectrum management processes more effective.

Speeches

• Intersection of Wireless and Broadband: Acting Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information John M.R. Kneuer spoke on The Intersection of Wireless and Broadband: Administration Spectrum Policy at the Wireless Communications Association International 2006 annual conference in Washington, DC, on June 28, 2006.
  [ -- HTML -- MS PowerPoint -- Acrobat PDF -- ]
  
  
• Congressional Testimony on Wireless and Spectrum Management Reform: Acting Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information John Kneuer testified before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on wireless telecommunications issues and spectrum management reform.
  Congressional Testimony [-- HTML -- MS Word -- Acrobat PDF -- ]

For Further Information

• Additional Wireless Resources

• Comprehensive Report on Spectrum Use and Management (1991) was the culmination of a year-long study undertaken by NTIA. While many of its recommendations have since been adopted, the report remains valuable today for its analytical approach to spectrum and its assessment of many current issues.
  
  
• Key Dates in Spectrum Management History
  
  
• Links to related international websites
  
  
• Archives: Speeches, Letters, and Filings: 2002 - 2005

For more information contact:

Joe Gattuso, jgattuso@ntia.doc.gov

National Telecommunications and Information Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce
14th St. & Constitution Ave., NW, Room 4725
Washington, D.C. 20230
Voice: (202) 482-1880 · Fax: (202) 482-6173