There is significant policy debate around the use and development of shared wireless spectrum in the United States. Carriers, represented by the CTIA, argue that spectrum should continue to be allocated to the highest bidder via traditional auctions rather than through a sharing system. They claim that spectrum sharing is complex and inefficient, and that dedicated spectrum under their control is easier to manage for delivering 5G-enabled technologies and emerging services. This perspective aims to facilitate rapid availability of spectrum for cellular services but ignores ongoing advancements that enhance spectrum sharing to optimize 5G services, which are crucial for the U.S. economy.
On the other side, spectrum sharing proponents view the current technology, built on Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS), as a positive model that will enable U.S. businesses, government organizations, and the economy to enhance wireless communications and achieve their full economic potential. Spectrum sharing provides affordable, direct access for many applications that might otherwise be too expensive or impractical through carriers. It removes unnecessary management and cost, ensuring actual utilization of available spectrum and immediate optimization for greater reliability and performance. For the government and military, shared spectrum allows commercial access to military-reserved bands without affecting incumbent users’ priority access when needed.
Biden on the right side of shared spectrum
The United States must advance dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) capabilities to improve spectrum utilization for current and future wireless opportunities, providing massive economic benefits. In rural areas, where carriers may not have heavy congestion or be primary license holders, large amounts of unused spectrum can be accessed at little or no cost, offering more affordable high-speed internet services via Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs). Spectrum sharing also supports targeted satellite-based internet service providers; enables businesses, government organizations, and schools to set up private wireless networks; and allows factories or agricultural businesses to affordably support wireless IoT systems, among other applications.
Real-time spectrum sharing is faster and simpler to implement, easier to update with allocation changes, and more affordable to use while allowing incumbents, such as the military, to adapt without significant costs, complexity, or negative effects on their current capabilities. The Biden-Harris administration supports shared spectrum, as evidenced by its recent Memorandum on Modernizing United States Spectrum Policy and Establishing a National Spectrum Strategy.
The Department of Defense (DoD) also supports shared spectrum for good reason. The DoD understands that transitioning spectrum allocated to military organizations for commercial use is difficult and expensive, potentially taking 9-13 years according to recent research from the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA). Traditionally auctioned spectrum is limited to the auction winner, which is why sharing was proposed as a potential model by President Obama over a decade ago. The government can still generate revenue through shared spectrum auctions, with different access levels auctioned to carriers and smaller users. This model allows multiple services to utilize spectrum based on sharing policies that establish utilization priorities and coexistence interference levels, ensuring maximum utilization.
Because wireless spectrum is a precious but finite resource, it makes little sense for it to still be managed by a simple game of musical chairs via traditional auctions, where a single organization can directly manage all access and block utilization of unused spectrum.
The game has become difficult with too many users and not enough seats. However, technological advancements today can optimize management for spectrum sharing. With sharing, FCC policies must provide new users access while guaranteeing incumbents’ performance. To do this effectively, current policies must expand by:
- Applying all tools available to understand spectrum utilization by signals and their associated services;
- Facilitating spectrum sharing while providing a process for autonomous compliance verification of such policies;
- Utilizing advancements in radio receiver and transmitter algorithms to satisfy performance requirements even in the presence of interference signals.
Doing this would make it possible to have portions of the policies (such as power, throughput, signal modulation, encoding, and spatial utilization) that can be flexible and adjustable based on spectrum utilization by the service providers at any time.
A step in the right direction
It’s worth noting that after its first three years of commercial operation, the FCC reported that “there has been no reported interference from CBRS into protected incumbents in the band.” This model has worked well to protect the Navy’s communications and expand spectrum access via a faster and more cost-effective system that doesn’t require changing bands. Despite its success, there is room for improvement and we have the technologies today to make it happen.
At Digital Global Systems (DGS), we’ve spent years developing RF monitoring technologies to make spectrum management more dynamic. Our technology and software, supported by a portfolio of 190 patents, can analyze and optimize RF spectrum applications and network operations in real time, delivering greater network performance through a DSS system.
With DSS, we can support both the military’s and carriers’ needs while ensuring unused spectrum is available for businesses, government organizations, schools, and rural communities. The legacy systems worked well when applications and user demands were simple, but as demand grows for more users and broader applications, a dynamic solution that adjusts between immediate demand and supply in real time is needed.
It would be unwise to settle on a dated auction model developed at a time when smartphones didn’t even exist. Based on today’s growing demands, spectrum sharing is the fastest and most economical way to maximize the use of spectrum needed by government, businesses, and the public. DGS tools can facilitate the implementation of a DSS that adheres to sharing policies and service requirements. Furthermore, a DSS that is based on optimal spectrum utilization can harmonize the operations of multiple terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication systems, especially in locations where terrestrial infrastructure is not feasible or available. Let’s progress with real innovations, driving forward powerful, dynamic systems that benefit everyone and unleash the power that our 5G networks can deliver.
Mark my words: If we wait, it will be too late.
