Expanding America's Leadership in Wireless Innovation

This 2013 memorandum directs federal agencies to accelerate shared access to spectrum bands below 6 GHz, creating a Spectrum Policy Team to oversee implementation. It mandates multiple reports and plans on spectrum sharing technologies, federal test facility access, agency spectrum usage assessments, and procurement efficiency guidelines, while encouraging the FCC to expedite commercial broadband deployment and develop receiver performance standards.

Federal Register Open PDF 78 FR 37431

Impact dates

Date TBD
Agencies submit quantitative spectrum usage assessments to NTIA
Jun 14, 2014
Spectrum Policy Team report on incorporating spectrum sharing into NTIA/FCC practices
Dec 11, 2013
Plan for standard policies, best practices, and templates for test facility use
Dec 11, 2013
Spectrum Policy Team implements policies for sharing classified/sensitive/proprietary data
Dec 11, 2013
NTIA requires quantitative usage assessments in agency frequency reviews
Dec 11, 2013
Spectrum Policy Team report on incentives for agencies to share/relinquish spectrum
Sep 12, 2013
NTIA and NIST publish inventory of Federal test facilities

Key directives

Co-chairs of Spectrum Policy Team designated (CTO and NEC Director)
Spectrum Policy Team to publish report within 1 year on NTIA/FCC spectrum sharing incorporation
NTIA to continue facilitating discussions on specific bands and expand to bands below 6 GHz
Secretary of Commerce to publish test facility inventory within 3 months
Plan for standard test facility policies within 6 months
Data sharing policies for classified/sensitive information within 6 months
NTIA to include quantitative usage assessment plan in Fourth Interim Report
Agency assessments due within 12 months of plan release
NTIA to design real-time spectrum monitoring pilot program
NTIA to require quantitative usage assessments in agency frequency reviews within 6 months
NTIA to require verification for new frequency assignments in 400 MHz-6 GHz range
OMB Director to develop spectrum efficiency procurement guidelines

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

Spectrum Policy Team established
NTIA continues facilitating discussions on specific bands (1695-1710 MHz, 1755-1850 MHz, 5350-5470 MHz, 5850-5925 MHz)

Near term (90d)

NTIA and NIST publish inventory of Federal test facilities (within 3 months)
Plan for standard policies for test facility use (within 6 months)
Policies for sharing classified/sensitive data with nonfederal parties (within 6 months)
NTIA requires quantitative usage assessments in agency frequency reviews (within 6 months)
Spectrum Policy Team report on incentives for agencies to share/relinquish spectrum (within 6 months)

Long term

Spectrum Policy Team report on incorporating spectrum sharing into NTIA/FCC practices (within 1 year)
Agency quantitative spectrum usage assessments due to NTIA (within 12 months of plan release)
Pilot program for real-time spectrum monitoring in selected communities
Ongoing implementation of spectrum efficiency in procurement guidelines

Risks & tensions

Tension between expanding commercial spectrum access and protecting national security, law enforcement, and safety-of-life missions
Data sharing with nonfederal parties requires balancing transparency against classified/sensitive information protection
Spectrum relocation costs and technical feasibility uncertainties for federal systems
Potential resistance from agencies reluctant to relinquish spectrum assignments
International coordination challenges for spectrum reallocation