Government Agencies Also Need Spectrum, NTIA Official Says
The administration is very focused on making more spectrum available for wireless broadband, but government agencies still have needs of their own, NTIA Associate Administrator Office of Spectrum Management Paige Atkins said Thursday in a blog post. Based on the…
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latest numbers, only 17 percent of spectrum in the 225 MHz to 3.7 GHz range is allocated for exclusive federal use, compared with 31 percent for “exclusive non-federal use” and 52 percent for shared use, Atkins wrote. “At the same time, however, the federal government’s need for spectrum to provide mission-critical services also is increasing,” she said. “Spectrum is essential to an extraordinarily broad range of other federal agency missions from the Federal Aviation Administration’s management of air traffic; to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s use of telepresence technology on its ocean exploration ship to reach on-shore personnel any time of day; to NASA’s use of spectrum for the satellites that are sending back amazing pictures of Pluto from its New Horizons spacecraft. In short, without adequate access to spectrum, many government activities that benefit every citizen would not be possible.” CTIA appreciates NTIA’s “continued dedication and willingness” to work with industry on spectrum, said CTIA Executive Vice President Brad Gillen. “As Americans, including government agencies, continue to adopt a mobile-first lifestyle, it’s important that spectrum is used as efficiently and effectively as possible,” he said.