THE Biden administration on Wednesday (Mar 15) launched an effort to identify significant wireless spectrum that can be repurposed for advanced technology needs and soaring US wireless demand.

The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is developing a National Spectrum Strategy with a goal to identify at least 1,500 megahertz (MHz) of spectrum to study for potential new uses.

“Today spectrum plays a central role in American life in a way that it never did before, from cellphones to aviation safety to weather prediction,” NTIA administrator Alan Davidson said in a Reuters interview.

He said the 1,500 Mhz goal over a decade was achievable but difficult.

Reuters first reported the announcement earlier on Wednesday.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said NTIA, which jointly manages US spectrum with the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), is seeking public input to identify “new spectrum bands for potential repurposing that will spur competition and innovation for years to come.”

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The strategy will address current and future spectrum needs, including fixed and mobile wireless broadband, next-generation satellite communications and other space-based systems; advanced transportation; and industrial and commercial applications.

It will also address wireless medical devices and telemedicine, the Internet of Things and smart cities, and key government uses including national defence, national airspace, critical infrastructure and climate monitoring and forecasting, Davidson said.

Congress last week let the FCC’s authority to auction wireless spectrum lapse for the first time in three decades, prompting some lawmakers to quickly restore the authority that has raised more than US$200 billion in proceeds for the US government.

FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel said the United States needed a “whole-of-government plan for managing” spectrum as well as “short-term action to restore auction authority.”

Demand for spectrum use is soaring as are planned new uses like connected vehicles. Mobile US wireless data traffic rose 20 per cent in 2021.

Davidson said a dispute over 5G C-Band spectrum and aviation use showed industry and government recognise “we need a coordinated approach” to managing current and future spectrum use.

“We’ve got 6G networks coming, new mega-constellations of satellites, connected automobiles, the Internet of things – all of that demands new uses of spectrum,” Davidson said. REUTERS