There is little debate that most future American technological advances will be dependent, in some form or fashion, on wireless technologies. Wireless capabilities are being embedded in nearly every device and service imaginable, and consumers’ expectations of wireless inclusion only grow by the day. Standing in the way of this progress, however, is a Department of War (DoW), or Defense if you prefer, that has no earthly incentive to unclench its grip on wide swaths of key spectrum bands needed for wireless growth. If there was one communications policy area that President Trump and his effective Administration could have an immediate and lasting impact, it would be a permanent change in DoW’s spectrum posture.
From a grand perspective, America is in the midst of a “Wireless Century” and the importance of spectrum in today’s economy is nearly immeasurable. Wireless capability is no longer about phone calls and simple data plans. Indeed, stand-alone wireless is being replaced by always-on, fully integrated functionality bursting into every aspect of American business and family life. With new wireless standards for licensed and unlicensed services, every economic sector is incorporating wireless into its offerings; every household is on the way to becoming a wireless playground. And the beneficiaries of this integration are the American people, as greater connectivity and the flexibility that comes with wireless breeds efficiency, productivity, longevity, safety, and comfort.
Despite this positive picture of innovation, one can see calamity right around the corner. Immense growth is causing wireless devices and services to need new domestic spectrum bands to keep pace with demand. To help make that happen, President Trump and Congress recently decreed that 800 megahertz of new licensed commercial spectrum must be made available to the private sector as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3A). In short, the law requires a reallocation of 500 megahertz from government spectrum users and 300 megahertz of non-government commercial spectrum to more effective uses. On paper, this decision should satisfy demand for years to come – well into the 9 years for which the FCC now has spectrum auction authority. The FCC got the message and is moving expeditiously to reallocate the upper C-Band spectrum, as required by OB3A.
Yet, hiding behind this mandate is a big problem: for historical reasons, DoW is sitting on some of the most desirable spectrum bands in the entire nation. That is, DoW currently uses bands based on decisions made half a century or more ago. When policymakers push for more government spectrum, DoW is estimated to hold 80 percent of the entire government spectrum portfolio. It’s as if the Interior Department was previously awarded almost all of Manhattan two centuries ago, then said no commercial development.
Too often, efforts to find ways to move or work around DoW’s uses in crucial bands have proven incredibly tortuous. Despite some limited success, DoW’s intransigence is the primary reason Federal spectrum auction authority expired three years ago and it took the engagement of the President’s team to restore. Past policymakers who dared raise the option of altering DoW spectrum holdings faced their wrath: screams for classified briefings by packs of Admirals and Generals with plenty of gold stars, threats of district or state defense jobs disappearing, and awful pictures of national security catastrophes promised. On rare occasions when DoW was forced to adjust its spectrum positions, officials repeatedly slow-rolled implementation trying to force a reconsideration or to wait until a new administration was elected.
This past practice should cause everyone to worry about what government spectrum we can expect under OB3A. Based on the latest debates on Capitol Hill to set aside lower 3 GHz and 7/8 GHz for now, does anyone really expect that DoW willingly helps produce 200 megahertz in two years or 500 megahertz of spectrum overall? Or is it more likely that the Department will obfuscate and delay until Congress waters down the O3BA mandate to let it off the hook or a future President ignores it entirely?
Take 4 GHz (4.4-4.94 GHz) for example. Beyond having great propagation characteristics, there’s a growing international play for harmonizing the band for 6G services. The Department of Commerce is on top of this, preparing to put reallocation of the band out for study. But if the prior Administration teaches us anything, expect DoW for force a nauseating process in order to drag it out and sow doubt about relocation. At some point reality will hit; it’s not about DoW feasibility, coordination, or cost but leverage. That’s why policymakers need to make a quick call and clear the path to the tangible spectrum pipeline OB3A envisions.
Fundamentally, wrestling spectrum away from DoW’s exclusive use does not have to come with any preconceived notion over what type of subsequent commercial use makes the most sense. Some bands may be better suited for licensed, shared, and/or unlicensed use, and as the Administration considers how best to fill the OB3A pipeline it will need to focus on bands that are the best candidates for full power licensed service. Overall, some reallocation options may be more innocuous than others, but DoW must not be led to believe that the wait-it-out approach is acceptable.
America is in the middle of a wireless renaissance in which everything from big to small can be wirelessly connected. For continued progress, it is indisputable that our nation will need new commercial spectrum bands in all formats. That probably only happens, however, if the Trump Administration — a great leader of spectrum policy in the first term — exerts necessary leadership to ensure DoW has a change in attitude and approach to spectrum policy.