Think Tank Calls for Rethinking Spectrum Use

 

As new faces and new ideas move into the executive suite at the FCC, the Washington, DC-based New America Foundation has issued statements and papers bringing to the fore two longstanding and contentious issues—achieving wide broadband access by freeing spectrum for wireless connectivity and by relying on “opportunistic access” or the smart radio technologies. In “The End of Spectrum Scarcity” the author Michael Calabrese asserts that taking key steps now “will support dynamic, shared use of federal and non-federal bands with little risk of interference to incumbents.” In a first step, the NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration) and the FCC should make a detailed map of the spectrum to determine how this valuable asset is being utilized or under-utilized. Second, the process of unlocking and making available unused spectrum capacity should begin immediately on a band-by-band basis. Third, the NTIA and the FCC should begin inquiries into the technologies, incentives, institutional arrangements, and “rules of the road” to include a more open, intensive, and dynamic use of the nation’s airwaves. A synopsis of the paper and a link to the full paper can found on the New America Foundation’s website.

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