Wireless spectrum —

White House highlights five spectrum bands, hopes to avoid interference
fights.

  Photo of a telecommunications tower combined with an illustration of
  radio signals.

  Getty Images | Jaiz Anuar

  The Biden administration is studying 2,786 megahertz of spectrum that
  could be reallocated for purposes including wireless broadband
  networks, satellites, and drones, the White House [1]said today. Some
  of the spectrum bands were already being investigated by federal
  agencies, though inclusion in the updated national strategy may speed
  up those processes.

  "These spectrum bands are a mix of Federal and shared
  Federal/non-Federal bands—with an emphasis on mid-band frequencies,"
  the new [2]National Spectrum Strategy says. The bands "will be studied
  for a variety of uses, including terrestrial wireless broadband,
  innovative space services, and unmanned aviation and other autonomous
  vehicle operations."

  The plan details "five spectrum bands meriting in-depth study in the
  near term," saying they could be useful for "expanded governmental and
  non-governmental use for an array of advanced, next-generation
  applications and services."

  The biggest chunk is from 7.125–8.4 GHz and could be used for wireless
  broadband. But some parts of this band will likely be off-limits to
  prevent interference with existing users, the spectrum strategy report
  said:

    This 1,275 megahertz of spectrum will be studied for wireless
    broadband use (on a licensed and/or unlicensed basis), though some
    sub-bands eventually may be studied for other uses. There are,
    however, a variety of mission-critical Federal operations in this
    band (including Fixed, Fixed Satellite, Mobile, Mobile Satellite,
    Space Research, Earth Exploration Satellite, and Meteorological
    Satellite services) that will make it challenging to repurpose
    portions of the band while protecting incumbent users from harmful
    interference.

Four more spectrum bands

  Another spectrum band consists of 350 megahertz from 3.1–3.45 GHz,
  which the Department of Defense has already studied for possible
  sharing with the private sector.

  "DoD determined that sharing is feasible if certain advanced
  interference-mitigation features and a coordination framework to
  facilitate spectrum sharing are put in place," the new report said. The
  Departments of Commerce and Defense will work on follow-up studies that
  "explore dynamic spectrum sharing and other opportunities for
  private-sector access in the band, while ensuring DoD and other Federal
  mission capabilities are preserved, with any necessary changes."

  One smaller band being studied is 5.03–5.091 GHz. In January 2023, the
  Federal Communications Commission [3]sought public comment on rules to
  let unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) use the band.

  "The FCC, in coordination with NTIA (National Telecommunications and
  Information Administration) and the Federal Aviation Administration, is
  expected to take near-term action to facilitate limited deployment of
  UAS in this band," the White House report said. "Thereafter, this 61
  megahertz of spectrum will be studied so that the FCC can optimize UAS
  spectrum access across the band while avoiding harmful interference to
  other protected in-band and adjacent-band operations."

  The National Spectrum Strategy also includes 500 megahertz in the
  18.1–18.6 GHz range and 600 megahertz in the 37.0–37.6 GHz range. The
  18 GHz band is already authorized for fixed satellite service downlink
  operations, but could gain an additional authorization for
  space-to-space transmissions.

  The 37 GHz band "will be further studied to implement a co-equal,
  shared-use framework allowing Federal and non-Federal users to deploy
  operations in the band," the report said.

US hopes to prevent spectrum battles

  More generally, the plan calls for collaborating with industry over the
  next 12 to 18 months "to advance research, create investment
  incentives, and set forth measurable goals for advancing the state of
  technology for spectrum access, with an emphasis on dynamic forms of
  spectrum sharing for all users."

  Repurposing spectrum can lead to public battles over potential
  interference, including a recent high-profile fight over 5G deployment
  [4]between airlines and wireless carriers. Such battles often involve
  competing studies that present wildly different conclusions. The White
  House plan calls for formalizing standards of analysis to prevent
  disputes over whether one use of spectrum will interfere with another
  use.

  Spectrum management should rely "upon unbiased technical, scientific,
  mission, and economic analyses," the spectrum strategy said. "To
  provide greater visibility into, and acceptance of, key studies, and to
  reduce contention and disputes of findings, the US Government will
  formalize its best practices for conducting these analyses in support
  of spectrum management decisions. Studies should be peer-reviewed, and
  the underlying findings should be published to the greatest degree
  possible."

References

  1. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/11/13/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-issues-landmark-blueprint-to-advance-american-innovation-competition-and-security-in-wireless-technologies/
  2. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/National-Spectrum-Strategy.pdf
  3. https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-starts-rulemaking-licensed-spectrum-unmanned-aircraft-use-0
  4. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/01/faa-proposes-feb-2024-deadline-for-airplane-altimeters-to-filter-out-5g-signals/

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