Pallone, Walden Seek GAO Review of NTIA Spectrum Management Processes

other government entities. “Last year, it was clear that the federal spectrum management process broke down,” Pallone and Walden said Friday in a letter to U.S. Comptroller General Gene Dodaro. “Rather than working through the NTIA as the central repository and manager of federal spectrum, we are concerned that many of the federal agencies with spectrum allocations may have circumvented this statutory process.” NTIA is on its third administrator in less than a year, after David Redl’s abrupt resignation in May 2019 (see 1905090051) and acting head Diane Rinaldo’s December departure. Doug Kinkoph is acting leader (see 1912230065). The turnover and changes at other agencies perpetuated concerns that spectrum policy disarray remains within President Donald Trump’s administration (see 2001060013). That “played out in multiple arenas,” including the public fracas between the FCC and Commerce Department over potential effects that commercial use of 24 GHz spectrum sold in an FCC auction would have on weather forecasting technology (see 1906120076), Pallone and Walden said. The ensuing “inefficient management ... undermined the U.S. government’s efforts in international spectrum coordination proceedings” like the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference, which produced mixed results for U.S. interests (see 1912180045). The lawmakers want GAO to determine “what lessons can be drawn from breakdowns in the most recent coordination process” for WRC. GAO last reviewed NTIA's processes in 2011 (see 1105130091). GAO received the request and will now "go through our usual review process before any decisions," a spokesperson emailed. "That usually takes a few weeks." NTIA didn't comment.