CSMAC to Take Deep Dive on Spectrum for Drones
Unmanned aircraft system spectrum is among the topics the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee will study as it gets to work Tuesday, said a document released last week by NTIA. CSMAC last met in July 2018 (see 1807240057) and once appeared in danger of disappearing entirely (see 1903280060). UAS spectrum will be studied by one of the four subcommittees that will develop reports for CSMAC.
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“What are appropriate models for ensuring timely and secure access to frequencies necessary to support UAS command and control requirements?” the document asks: “What governance characteristics are important? Are there liability issues to consider for this function? Is it a 3rd party frequency coordinator model?” The subcommittee is also asked to consider whether the U.S. needs “an entity that supports and facilitates collaboration across the disparate federal advisory committees for UAS.”
The topic has been heating up at the FCC, with the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) pressing the regulator to act on its longstanding request for technical and operational rules for using the 5030-5091 MHz band for unmanned aircraft systems controls (see 1909120073). A second subcommittee will focus on interference prevention, detection and resolution.
“How could NTIA’s and the FCC’s equipment authorization rules be modified to require that all transmitters use a unique identifier?” that subcommittee is asked: “What are the barriers to doing so?” The other subcommittees will focus on future spectrum requirements of non-federal users and the national spectrum strategy implementation governance model. “I’m glad to see the issue of how to manage spectrum for UAS is getting attention at multiple agencies,” said a lawyer active on drone issues. “It is long overdue.” The attorney said CSMAC studying the issue shouldn’t delay FCC work on the AIA petition.
The Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Coalition “has been advocating for flexibility in spectrum policy to accommodate UAS,” said outside counsel Gregory Guice of McGuireWoods. Companies are exploring alternative bands, Guice told us: Industry is working on "these issues and through opportunities under existing regimes is exploring how best to address this, but we look forward to a dialogue.”
AIA is "actively tracking next Tuesday’s meeting and look[s] forward to hearing more about how this new group will look to engage on UAS Spectrum,” emailed Max Fenkell, director-unmanned and emerging aviation technologies. “The questions that they will look to answer are critical to assist the safe integration of drones into the National Airspace System for all operations and, if the safety case requires it, on dedicated aviation safety spectrum.”