Alion Science and Technology lays out an argument for how the wireless industry and federal government can work together to solve the spectrum crunch
The demand for spectrum has never been higher, but will the supply keep pace? Whether we declare a “spectrum crunch” or not, the demand must be addressed in a timely fashion.
Consumer use of spectrum is a key economic driver and has taken over the realm of broadcasters, government and amateur radio operators. Spectrum ensures a smartphone can get fast data speeds to watch videos, search the Web or conduct business, all of which reaffirm the high demand for bandwidth. At the same time, the government uses spectrum to support security, public safety, aviation safety, weather and scientific study.
Everyone wants the top quality spectrum “beachfront” for mobility and bandwidth. Technology, regulation and legislation, and spectrum management tools have opened the doors to advancements in the past, but still need to evolve as the demand increases. Future improvements will depend on competitor collaboration, sharing spectrum and incentives.
Competitors must cooperate
Competitors for spectrum must believe that working together produces better results than “winner takes all.” Collaborative engagement drives solutions, such as when government and industry facilitated the successful auction of the AWS-3 spectrum through discussions of the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee.
To help negotiations, parties should look for “honest brokers” because, frankly, each side presenting its own analysis never gets anywhere. These trusted agents can perform the analysis and facilitate dialog to reach solutions that work for everyone.
Spectrum sharing is inevitable
Spectrum sharing will become a reality as all parties – industry and government – seek spectrum that is already occupied. Let’s face it: neither industry nor government wants to share.
Spectrum use has three usable dimensions: frequency, space and time. Traditionally, we rely on frequency separation. However, the space and time factors become more useful for operations with limited geographical locations or intermittent operations. Government use often falls into these categories and experts have referred to these uses as inefficient.
Technology improvements could take advantage of the space and time elements, such as advanced antenna techniques that greatly expand frequency reuse. Multiband radios access frequencies over a wider range, giving greater flexibility to the operator or the equipment itself. Some technologies simply survive better than others in an interference environment.
Because nobody wants interference and staffs are limited, we rely on analysis techniques that tend to lean toward worst-case possibilities to determine separation requirements. Such approaches severely limit spectrum access, basing their results on situations that may never occur. Improvements can be made if resources are put into more complex models of equipment, operations and the environment.
Much attention has focused on commercial operations getting access to spectrum currently in the hands of the federal government. Proponents of this direction assume government operations can be moved to other bands or can be packed more tightly.
Coordinated access
Although the Department of Defense acknowledges it doesn’t need all federal spectrum all the time, everywhere; the agency indicates its systems must be built for a tactical environment. The last thing they need is for the adversary to learn the U.S. military has been forced into small pockets of spectrum that are identifiable — and easily jammed. Furthermore, our adversaries often use commercial wireless to carry out their attacks. Therefore, DoD needs to be able to operate in commercial wireless bands.
To make more federal spectrum available, DoD needs a clear commitment for coordinated and cooperative access to wireless spectrum, what it refers to as bi-directional sharing. This means spectrum access and sharing cannot be a one-way street if our military is going to fulfill its mission.
The right incentives support everyone’s goals
How do we facilitate greater access for all? Market forces play the greatest motivating role for industry, as they seek megahertz-per-potential customers covered at the lowest cost. Meanwhile, legislators have sought to incentivize agencies by paying them to move or eliminate uses, assuming that agencies have exclusive access to spectrum they don’t need. However, agencies have interleaved their assignments with other agencies and do not reserve blocks that convert into licensable markets.
The real motivator for agencies is to be able to do their jobs better, over the long term with tight budgets. For example, while updated equipment can improve capabilities and facilitate access, budget expansion is unlikely, even to achieve such goals. Therefore, the most effective incentive would be a “self-priming” pump where spectrum-based profits fund improvements in equipment and spectrum management tools.
The wireless industry brings economic growth with its own profitability. If industry wants a pipeline for the future, funding should come from industry itself. The Spectrum Relocation Fund helped, and the Spectrum Pipeline Act begins to provide funds for research of spectrum improvements. The spectrum pump needs to be primed, even on speculation for new technologies. Furthermore, improvements should go beyond radio equipment and should cover spectrum management tools.
As we look to address the looming spectrum crunch, the solution lies in collaboration, sharing and incentives. Government and private industry must work together with the help of trusted and honest brokers to ensure proper sharing of valuable bandwidth for all parties. Similarly, we have to implement incentive approaches that motivate and enable the updating of government systems. By focusing on these three key areas, we can develop a sustainable model for spectrum allocation that satisfies all parties and helps to prevent another spectrum crunch in the future.
Editor’s Note: The RCR Wireless News Reality Check section is where C-level executives and advisory firms from across the mobile industry share unique insights and experiences.
