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Spectrum

Spectrum Policy

18 Dec 2024

Policymakers make critical decisions of how to allocate scarce resources of the radio spectrum with near unlimited uses and users. Spectrum policy ranks as the most important element of telecommunications. The following reflects key points for policymakers on how to maximize the use of this resource.

Contents

What is spectrum

Benefits of good spectrum policy

Filings and Testimony

Events

Academic Papers

Reports

Articles

Press Coverage

What is spectrum

Wireless telecommunication is conducted via radio waves in electromagnetic spectrum in the 1 Hz to 3000 GHz (3 THz) bands. Spectrum is divided into frequency bands, and each band is allocated for a specific app ranging from aeronautical and maritime communication to AM and FM radio stations. Demand for wireless broadband has soared due to technological innovation, such as 4G and 5G mobile services, and the rapid growth of wireless internet services. With the explosion of technologies requiring the use of the radio spectrum, spectrum managers are looking for ways to increase spectrum availability for broadband and maintain critical services.

Benefits of good spectrum policy

A sound spectrum policy—enabling the management and use of the electromagnetic spectrum—offers numerous benefits for citizens, enterprise, and government. They include:

1. Mobile telecommunications 

Mobile telecommunications over licensed, exclusive use spectrum represents the most important source of instant transmission of information over distance. While no one network is perfect for every use case, mobile telecommunications remains the best value for its ease of use, portability, ubiquity, cost effective economics, security, reliability in emergencies and disasters, and flexible engineering and integration with other technologies. A good test of a national government is the quality of its policy for mobile telecommunications. Importantly, mobile telecommunications is most vital for the poorest people of any nation.

2. Economic development

Good spectrum policy enables economic development. This follows from the premise that communication enables the transmission of information, and that individuals and enterprises transmit information to conduct commerce. Spectrum policy matters in all stages of a nation’s development, whether it is pre or post industrial. In the USA, 5G mobile networks underpin trillions of dollars of economic activity, billions of dollars in government revenue, and millions of jobs.

3. Digital Inclusion

Spectrum policy ensures that all people in a nation have access to essential information and advanced technologies. These allow people to work, learn, and receive healthcare from home, connect with family and friends, consume news, send emails, and engage in commerce online.  Spectrum policy also serves to reduce digital divides so that people in urban and rural areas have access to the same services.

4. National Security and Public Safety

Spectrum policy is vital for defense and armed forces for the purposes of communication, navigation/positioning, radar/surveillance, intelligence, space, electronic warfare, and weapons. Similarly, spectrum policy ensures public safety communications in emergencies, disasters, and rescue.

5. Revenue Generation and Deficit Reduction

Spectrum policy can help a nation raise revenue to fund socially valuable service and to retire debt and deficits.

6. Innovation

The history of spectrum relates to a series of innovators wanting access to frequencies to employ essential inventions. This includes but is not limited to navigational radar, radio, television broadcast, satellite communications, and so on.

7. International standards compliance

Spectrum policy is harmonized with international standards so that people can travel across countries and use their devices. Similarly, such policies help innovators produce wireless products and services which can be sold across countries.  can produce eliable spectrum management ensures a country remains competitive in deploying advanced telecommunications infrastructure. Additionally such standards allow for commerce and transportation across countries. Bodies like the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) ensures interoperability and facilitates international agreements and trade. Related groups like the 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) determine mobile standards for technologies like 5G.

8 Efficient resource allocation 

Spectrum represents a renewable resource, but it is finite. Hence it should be allocated through a competitive and ideally market-based process. When such a process is not possible, allocation should be based on the most efficient use. Efficient use of resources is an important measure of the quality of a national government.

9. Interference Mitigation

Spectrum policy is important to minimize interference at international borders and between different spectrum uses and users. Pricing and licenses delineate users and uses and assist to minimize interference. Similarly technical requirements, for example maximum power lowers, also regulate interference.

10. Environmental and Social Benefits

A range of innovative wireless technologies use spectrum for services to improve human health and well-being (healthcare, education, egovernment), energy-efficiency, and climate resilience.

Filings and Testimony

US Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Roslyn Layton is a leading proponent of market-based spectrum allocation and supports the re-authorization of FCC spectrum authority. This critical function expired in March 2023 and has not been renewed. Similarly, there is no pipeline of frequencies. Fortunately, there are bills in Congress ready to restore these functions in the 119th Congress.

As related challenge is that the US has bifurcated spectrum authority with commercial spectrum managed by the FCC and spectrum used by government managed by the National Telecommunications and Information Agency’s (NTIA). While commercial spectrum management and efficiency has evolved significantly, governance of federal spectrum has changed little in over a century. There is very little transparency to its management and its use is quite inefficient. Congressional leaders have called out this problem as something to be resolved in the 119th Congress.

United States Senate

See Roslyn Layton’s Testimony to the US Senate Commerce Committee on the State of Federal Spectrum Policy (Jul. 23, 2020)

Read Senate Testimony.

US National Telecommunications and Information Agency’s (NTIA)

See Roslyn Layton’s testimony to NTIA on a National Spectrum Strategy (2023)

Events

Academic Papers

  • “5G Versus Wi-Fi: Challenges for Economic, Spectrum, and Security Policy” by Roslyn Layton and David Witkowski, Journal of Information Policy, 2021, Vol. 11 (2021), pp. 523-561, Penn State University Press paper

Reports

Articles

Press Coverage

About Roslyn Layton, PhD:  Roslyn Layton is an international technology policy scholar. She empowers policymakers with evidence and supports the research agenda for technology policy. She explains complex topics in everyday language with accessible examples so that people can understand. She teaches people how to think critically and to ask critical questions.

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