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Recommendations of the Federal Government Spectrum Task Force

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Recommendations of the Federal Government Spectrum Task Force SPECTRUM POLICY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY – THE PRESIDENT’S SPECTRUM POLICY INITIATIVE: REPORT 1 RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SPECTRUM TASK FORCE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE DONALD L. EVANS, SECRETARY MICHAEL D. GALLAGHER, ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION JUNE 2004 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report reflects the deliberations of the members of the Presidential Task Force and espe- cially its Chair for the majority of this effort, Dr. Samuel Bodman, Deputy Secretary of Com- merce from 2001 until April 2004. Their views reflect their strong interest in ensuring that they can accomplish their agencies’ missions mandated by Congress, the President, and ultimately the American people, while doing their utmost to use valuable spectrum resources wisely and effi- ciently. Further, the staff of the Presidential Task Force member agencies and especially the staff of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration have provided significant support to the discussion and many valuable comments on the various drafts of this report over the last year. Members of the Presidential Task Force and its Working Level Group are listed in Appendix C. TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................. i PRESIDENT’S DIRECTION .............................................................................................................. i FACILITATE A MODERNIZED AND IMPROVED SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT SYSTEM....................... ii CREATE INCENTIVES FOR MORE EFFICIENT AND BENEFICIAL USE OF SPECTRUM AND POLICIES INCREASING PREDICTABILITY AND CERTAINTY FOR INCUMBENT SPECTRUM USERS ..................iii DEVELOP POLICY TOOLS TO STREAMLINE THE DEPLOYMENT OF NEW AND EXPANDED SERVICES AND TECHNOLOGIES WHILE PRESERVING NATIONAL AND HOMELAND SECURITY, AND PUBLIC SAFETY, AND ENCOURAGING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.................................................................. iv MEET CRITICAL SPECTRUM NEEDS: NATIONAL SECURITY, HOMELAND SECURITY, PUBLIC SAFETY, FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE, AND SCIENCE...................................... v SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 BACKGROUND.............................................................................................................................. 1 HOW THE GOVERNMENT USES SPECTRUM................................................................................... 2 HOW THE SPECTRUM IS SHARED.................................................................................................. 4 FEDERAL RADIO SYSTEM INVESTMENT ....................................................................................... 4 RECENT CHALLENGES.................................................................................................................. 5 THE PRESIDENT’S SPECTRUM POLICY INITIATIVE........................................................................ 6 WORK OF THE TASK FORCE ......................................................................................................... 7 SECTION 2 – SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES ................................ 8 BACKGROUND.............................................................................................................................. 8 U.S. SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT GOALS ....................................................................................... 8 EXECUTIVE BRANCH ORGANIZATIONS ...................................................................................... 10 THE NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION ........................ 11 THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE ..................................................................................................... 14 THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION ........................................................................ 14 SECTION 3 – RECOMMENDATIONS SOUGHT IN THE PRESIDENT’S MEMORANDUM: RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE AGENCIES.................................... 17 FACILITATE A MODERNIZED AND IMPROVED SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. ................... 17 CREATE INCENTIVES FOR MORE EFFICIENT AND BENEFICIAL USE OF SPECTRUM AND POLICIES INCREASING PREDICTABILITY AND CERTAINTY FOR INCUMBENT SPECTRUM USERS ................. 18 DEVELOP POLICY TOOLS TO STREAMLINE THE DEPLOYMENT OF NEW AND EXPANDED SERVICES AND TECHNOLOGIES WHILE PRESERVING NATIONAL AND HOMELAND SECURITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY, AND ENCOURAGING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH................................................................. 22 MEET CRITICAL SPECTRUM NEEDS: NATIONAL SECURITY, HOMELAND SECURITY, PUBLIC SAFETY, FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE, AND SCIENCE.................................... 26 APPENDIX A – PRESIDENT’S MEMORANDUM AND FACT SHEET ................................ A-1 APPENDIX B – QUICK LOOK: RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SPECTRUM TASK FORCE FOR IMPROVING SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT POLICIES............................................................................................... B-1 APPENDIX C – TASK FORCE AND WORKING GROUP MEMBERSHIPS....................... C-1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY broadband technology is wireless. Expanding PRESIDENT’S DIRECTION the amount of spectrum available for com- mercial uses will support high speed Internet access and therefore is integral to helping In today’s era of modern communications, meet this goal. radio frequency spectrum is critical. Just as To ensure that our spectrum management steel, lumber, oil, and natural gas were key policies are capable of harnessing the poten- natural resources that supplied our economy tial of rapidly changing technologies, the in the 20th century, spectrum is increasingly President directed the Secretary of Commerce important in the 21st century. Current spec- to conduct a comprehensive review to trum management policies (administered by develop recommendations for improving the National Telecommunication and Infor- spectrum management. The goal of the Initia- mation Administration (NTIA) for federal tive is to promote the development and im- plementation of a U.S. spectrum policy for the government users and by the Federal Com- st munications Commission (FCC) for all other 21 century that will: foster economic growth; users) are under increasing strain as the de- ensure our national and homeland security; mand for existing spectrum-based services maintain U.S. global leadership in communi- grows and new spectrum-related technologies cations technology; and satisfy other vital and applications emerge. Recognizing this U.S. needs in areas such as public safety, fact, the President established the “Spectrum scientific research, federal transportation Policy Initiative” (the “Initiative”) to promote infrastructure, and law enforcement. the development and implementation of a Specifically, the President charged the U.S. spectrum policy for the 21st century. Secretary of Commerce to prepare recom- The recommendations proposed in this mendations to: report build upon the recent experiences of (a) facilitate a modernized and improved the federal spectrum management community spectrum management system; in its efforts to implement policies for three (b) facilitate policy changes to create in- new technologies -- third generation (3G) centives for more efficient and beneficial use wireless, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) and Ul- of spectrum and to provide a higher degree of trawideband (UWB). Although these new predictability and certainty in the spectrum technologies offer great potential economic management process as it applies to incum- and commercial benefits, before they could be bent users; introduced, critical federal government sys- (c) develop policy tools to streamline the tems had to be protected. While ultimately deployment of new and expanded services successful, the effort to introduce these new and technologies, while preserving national technologies exposed limitations of our spec- security, homeland security, and public trum management system. safety, and encouraging scientific research; In March 2004, the President announced and that all Americans should have universal, af- (d) develop means to address the critical fordable access to broadband technology by spectrum needs of national security, home- 2007. Some of the most promising new land security, public safety, federal transpor- standing that appropriate metrics will vary by tation infrastructure, and science. class of use and purpose. The President directed the Secretary of Commerce to initiate two courses of action: 2. Best Practices Handbook (a) to establish a federal government Spectrum Task Force (the “Task Force”) con- NTIA should work cooperatively with sisting of the heads of impacted executive other federal agencies and with input from the branch agencies, departments, and offices to FCC to develop a best-practices handbook of address improvements in polices affecting analytical engineering spectrum tools and spectrum use by federal agencies, and, procedures. When complete, this handbook (b) to schedule a series of public meetings will include: a compilation of accepted tech- to address improvements in policies affecting nical standards, interference protection crite- spectrum use by state and local governments ria, unwanted emission limits on both radio and the private sector, as well as improve- service and allocated band basis, and envi- ments in polices for the spectrum manage- ronmental characteristics (e.g., noise
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