Flexible Spectrum Key For Future Development, Expert Says
Increased spectrum sharing is the way to handle user demand in the midst of spectrum shortages, expert says
WASHINGTON, June 26, 2024 – Speaking at a Broadband Breakfast forum Wednesday, one spectrum expert said that maximizing use of existing airwaves was crucial for maintaining development while waiting for new spectrum to become available.
“Spectrum is a very limited resource… we need to have spectrum that is designed for using the maximum amount of offering it has,” said Richard Bernhardt, vice president of spectrum and industry at WISPA, a trade association for fixed wireless access providers.
Mary Brown
Bernhardt’s comments came at a weekly Broadband Breakfast Live Online webcast. The Federal Communications Commission's expired spectrum auction authority was the backdrop for much of the one-hour discussion.
Also on the panel were Mary Brown, executive director at WifiForward; Ryan Johnston, senior policy counsel for Next Century Cities; and Scott Bergmann, senior vice president for regulatory affairs at CTIA.
Bernhardt provided what he said was a working solution to handle consumer demand amid spectrum shortages: Spectrum sharing.
He pointed to the Citizens Broadband Radio Service as a "quintessential" roadmap for how to conduct spectrum sharing.
In 2015, the FCC adopted rules that allocated for commercial use unused space within a spectrum band occupied by three incumbents. Often areas in a spectrum band will go unused because of geographic or provider time-to-market delays and can therefore be accessed by other providers, Bernhardt said.
Bernhardt said that the Department of Defense’s recent agreement to reduce protection zones, providing an additional 72 million Americans with access to spectrum-based services, was a good indication the government was recognizing the value of spectrum sharing.
CTIA’s Bergmann agreed that flexible use of spectrum was important, but he emphasized the immediate need for exclusive-use license spectrum, saying that was required for commercial wireless networks.
“It’s important we’re doing both those things. Exploring [spectrum] sharing for the future while also making sure we’re meeting our immediate needs,” Bergmann said.
CTIA issued a report Wednesday that emphasized the need for full-power licensed spectrum for smart transportation.
June 26, 2024 – Spectrum Policy and Smart Cities
Spectrum, or the range of frequencies used for wireless communication, is the backbone of Smart Cities technologies. It powers applications such as smart traffic lights, utility monitoring, and public safety systems by enabling seamless communication between devices like sensors and cameras. Without effective management of this finite resource, devices could experience interference, leading to delays and malfunctions. How is spectrum currently managed? What are the regulatory challenges and solutions for spectrum allocation and management?
Panelists
- Mary Brown, Executive Director, WifiForward
- Ryan Johnston, Senior Policy Counsel, Next Century Cities
- Richard Bernhardt, Vice President, Spectrum and Industry, WISPA – Broadband Without Boundaries
- Scott Bergmann, Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, CTIA
- Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast
Mary Brown
