U.S. Department of Defense Releases Strategy for Addressing Spectrum Scarcity Through More Efficient and Shared Usage of Spectrum Resources
With the release of its Electromagnetic Spectrum Strategy, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has outlined its plans for addressing concerns over spectrum scarcity and advancing the President’s goal of expanding the spectrum available for commercial use by 2020. The strategy attempts to strike a balance between increasing military and commercial demands for spectrum access by exploring opportunities for shared spectrum usage, developing ways to more efficiently utilize currently-held DOD spectrum, and leveraging existing commercial service capabilities to supplement DOD demands.
In response to increased pressure on federal agencies to repurpose government-held spectrum for commercial use, the DOD seeks expanded ability to share its spectrum with commercial users in lieu of reallocation. To achieve this goal, the DOD Strategy will attempt to broaden investments in development of spectrum dependent technologies that both reduce and better tolerate interference. In addition, by supporting the growth of technologies that can be used in less congested spectrum bands or over wider frequency ranges, the Strategy aims to meet DOD demands through improved efficiency.
