The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has issued two new reports to inform its push for more government spectrum for 5G.

The reports are Research and Development Priorities for American Leadership in Wireless Communications and Emerging Technologies and their Expected Impact on Non-Federal Spectrum Demand.

President Trump called for the reports in an Oct. 25, 2018, Presidential Memorandum, “Developing a Sustainable Spectrum Strategy for America’s Future."

“The Trump Administration recognizes that efficient, sustainable spectrum use and availability will accelerate our Nation’s leadership in next-generation 5G networks," said Michael Kratsios, deputy assistant to the President for Technology Policy and Deputy U.S. chief technology officer. "These reports serve as a foundation for spectrum policies that empower innovation, and fuel investment and economic growth. As we continue working to advance the Industries of the Future, our goal is to ensure that not only does the United States lead the world in 5G, but also the American people reap the greatest possible benefit from future wireless network technology."

The three key takeaways from the R&D report are: 1) "Pursue spectrum flexibility and agility to use multiple bands and new waveforms"; 2) "Improve near real-time spectrum awareness"; and 3) "Increase spectrum efficiency and effectiveness through secure autonomous spectrum decision making."

The second report focuses on how new technologies will use spectrum and how that will change the demand on and for that spectrum. That new tech includes everything from self-driving cars, factory automation, and remote surgery to smart cities, precision agriculture and connected homes, some of which, like surgery, will require high capacity and low latency.

Then there are the space-based technologies given the President's commitment to lead in commercial space applications (not to mention military command of the really high skies).

"Whether ensuring efficient use of spectrum, authorizing innovative satellite constellations, or developing rules of the road to govern co-existence between incumbents and new entrants, it is essential that we provide entrepreneurs and engineers with the spectrum sandbox needed to innovate here in America," OSTP said.

That is currently a priority at the FCC, which has worked with federal agencies on sharing and repurposing and has authorized a number of efforts to use constellations of satellites for imaging and new broadband services.

TAGSFCCDONALD TRUMPWHITE HOUSESPECTRUM

BY JOHN EGGERTON

https://www.multichannel.com/news/white-house-issues-pair-of-spectrum-reports

President Donald Trump is lighting a fire under federal agency's in an effort to free up more government spectrum for advanced communications, including calling for a National Spectrum Strategy by the third quarter of next year.

That came in a presidential memorandum to the heads of executive departments and agencies Thursday under the heading "Developing a Sustainable Spectrum Strategy for America's Future." It contained a bunch of action items, though mostly reports and studies and a Spectrum Strategy Task Force.

The President made clear that with the burgeoning need for spectrum for industry, the government has to make a concerted to free up more of its spectrum, including to make sure America wins in 5G. " Federal agencies must thoughtfully consider whether and how their spectrum-dependent mission needs might be met more efficiently and effectively, including through new technology and ingenuity," he wrote.

On the issue of freeing up spectrum, the President is on the same page as Hill Republicans and Democrats, as well as his FCC chair, Ajit Pai.

“We support the President’s spectrum memorandum and applaud his strong commitment to American leadership in 5G," said an FCC spokesperson. "The FCC will continue to work aggressively to push more spectrum into the commercial marketplace, including through our 28 GHz spectrum auction which will commence in November.”

"American companies and institutions rely heavily on high-speed wireless connections, with increasing demands on both speed and capacity," the memorandum read. "Wireless technologies are helping to bring broadband to rural, unserved, and underserved parts of America. Spectrum-dependent systems also are indispensable to the performance of many important United States Government missions. And as a Nation, our dependence on these airwaves is likely to continue to grow."

"While American industry continues to extract greater and greater value from spectrum, each technological leap also increases demands on its usage. Those demands have never been greater than today, with the advent of autonomous vehicles and precision agriculture, the expansion of commercial space operations, and the burgeoning Internet of Things signaling a nearly insatiable demand for spectrum access. Moreover, it is imperative that America be first in fifth-generation (5G) wireless technologies – wireless technologies capable of meeting the high-capacity, low-latency, and high-speed requirements that can unleash innovation broadly across diverse sectors of the economy and the public sector. Flexible, predictable spectrum access by the United States Government will help ensure that Federal users can meet current and future mission requirements for a broad range of both communications- and non-communications-based systems."

The action items were:

1. Within 180 days, those agencies and departments, working with the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, the President's chief telecom policy adviser, have to report to the Secretary of Commerce (NTIA is under Commerce) on their future spectrum requirements as well as on a review of their current frequency assignments and usage. The secretary may release a summary of the report, but is not required to.

1. Within 180 days, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) "shall submit a report to the President on emerging technologies and their expected impact on non-Federal spectrum demand" and "a report to the President on recommendations for research and development priorities that advance spectrum access and efficiency."

1. Within 180 days, and annually after that, Commerce, working with the FCC and other agencies, must submit a report, that will be made public "to the extent practicable," on "the status of existing efforts and planned near- to mid-term spectrum repurposing initiatives."

1. Within 270 days, Commerce, against working with the FCC and others, shall submit to the President, through the Director of the National Economic Council and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, a long-term National Spectrum Strategy that includes legislative, regulatory, or other policy recommendations."

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