Spectrum experts at T-Mobile, Ericsson and Qualcomm said Tuesday they...
Spectrum experts at T-Mobile, Ericsson and Qualcomm said Tuesday they are open to the idea of sharing spectrum with federal users but said clearing is the best way to alleviate the demand for greater spectrum, during an event hosted by…
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the Federal Communications Bar Association. Steve Sharkey, director of government affairs for technology and engineering policy at T-Mobile, said he is “hopeful” that the company will be able to work out ways to share spectrum with federal agencies. But there “has to be spectrum for the assured and reliable access that customers demand,” he said. Mark Racek, Ericsson’s director of spectrum policy, said he thinks there is a role for spectrum sharing, but “ultimately the clearing and auctioning of spectrum is the clear spectrum policy.” Racek said the government should strive to provide greater clarity for access rights to spectrum use, particularly when it comes to sharing. The spectrum that is most “suitable” for carriers is below 3 MHz, Racek said. “The problem is that that spectrum [band] is most congested [since] the primary user of the band is the federal government.” John Kuzin, senior director of regulatory affairs at Qualcomm, said there are three distinct paths that spectrum policy makers should pursue: first, clear more spectrum for wireless use; second, allow licensed users to share federal spectrum; and third, provide large additional swaths of spectrum at 5 GHz and above for unlicensed use. Financial incentives to relocate or share spectrum are less persuasive to federal users like the Department of Defense, said Peter Tenhula, a senior adviser at NTIA. Agencies “have missions that Congress has authorized them to do, fight wars, make sure planes land safely, catch criminals, fight fires. That is what drives them to do their job. … Until the federal folks get a clear understanding about what is in it for [them] from a mission standpoint … there’s no incentive.” Recent budgetary demands on federal agencies might encourage some federal users to seek spectrum sharing or relocation scenarios, said John Leibovitz, chief of the FCC Wireless Bureau. “You have to think about the cost not in pure dollars but the procurement cost they have to go through.” Leibovitz said the commission is focused on three sharing opportunities, the 1.7 GHz band, the 5 GHz band and the 3.5 GHz band.