Joe Biden Administration Releases Detail Plan For Government Spectrum Study

US President Joe Biden (photo: x @jobiden)

JAKARTA - On Tuesday, March 12, the administration of US President Joe Biden released a detailed time schedule to study the government's significant spectrum with the aim of helping expand the use of wireless technology and others.

The National Telecommunications Agency and Information Administration of the Commerce Department (NTIA), which in November announced measures to re-use the spectrum currently provided for parts of the federal government, said they set a detailed time schedule to study several spectral bands including "potentials for repackaging, compression, and relocation of air radars and other federal systems under 3 GHz to enable commercial use."

Under 3 GHz study is expected to be completed in October 2026 as well as studies of the 7/8 GHz spectral band.

"We must provide the necessary spectral access to federal agency missions while addressing the private sector's need for greater spectral access, which is necessary to maintain and increase our global competitiveness and support economic growth," according to the implementation plan first reported by Reuters.

This spectrum refers to the frequency range of electromagnetic waves used for various wireless communications purposes, including cellular phones, Wi-Fi, radio, and so on. This spectrum is regulated and managed by governments in many countries, including the United States and even Indonesia, to ensure efficient and effective use of these resources.

The US Congress in March 2023 allowed the powers of the Federal Communications Commission to hold a spectral auction to end for the first time in three decades due to a debate over the spectrum used by the Department of Defense that could be restored or shared.

"The spectrum is a rare national resource," said NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson, in an interview. He said that the goal was to ensure sufficient spectrum for the needs of the public and private sectors. "What we need is a step-by-step plan on how we will carry out the mission."

Demand for spectral use is rapidly increasing, driven in part by advances in drones, autonomous vehicles, missions to the moon, and precision agriculture. US wireless data traffic increased 38% by 2022, the greatest worldwide increase in wireless data traffic.

On Monday, March 11, two senators proposed legislation to demand NTIA to identify at least 2,500 megahertz mid-band spectra that can be re-allocated from federal government use to non-government use or together over the next 5 years.

Last month, three other senators urged the Biden administration not to lift the spectrum used by the Department of Defense for a commercial wireless military radar system.