NTIA, Defense Release National Spectrum Strategy Study on Lower 37 GHz Band

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2024 – Federal spectrum managers and the Defense Department announced Tuesday a plan for sharing the lower 37 GigaHertz (GHz) band.

It’s the first study published as part of the national spectrum strategy, a Biden administration plan to study federal bands for potential repurposing.

Lower 37 GHz spectrum has much higher capacity than the airwaves traditionally used for 5G networks, making it useful for fixed and mobile broadband, but the spectrum doesn’t propagate as well through obstacles or over long distances. The military uses the band at more than a dozen sites across the country.