Alan Davidson, Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, appears today before a subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. In this oversight hearing, Davidson will discuss with lawmakers a new joint spectrum initiative between NTIA and the FCC.
The point of the initiative is to improve federal coordination on spectrum management. It was apparent such a plan is needed after the recent woes between the FAA, the aviation industry, carriers and the FCC over 5G operations on C-band, Inside Towers reported.
The agencies say the Spectrum Coordination Initiative will enable them to strengthen their decision making and information sharing and to work cooperatively to resolve spectrum policy issues. They emphasize the Initiative will also improve their ability to address gaps in governmental coordination.
“Now more than ever we need a whole-of-government approach to spectrum policy,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in making the official announcement yesterday. “Over the past few years, we’ve seen the cost of not having one—and we need a non-stop effort to fix that.” She added she appreciates Davidson’s willingness to work with her to revitalize the interagency coordination process.
Davidson said the work will give both agencies the chance to “build a common vision for spectrum management and coordination that serves federal users, private actors, and the American people.”
CTIA was especially pleased with the initiative. CTIA President/CEO Meredith Attwell Baker said as spectrum regulators, the agencies are “uniquely positioned to implement spectrum policies to ensure that America maintains its wireless leadership.” CTIA, she said, “looks forward to working closely with them to foster plans that will help close the digital divide and unlock new 5G-enabled applications to help meet our climate, education and healthcare goals.”
Specifically, Rosenworcel and Davidson have committed to the following initial actions:
- Reinstate High Level Meetings. For the first time, the Chair of the FCC and the NTIA Administrator will hold formal, regular meetings, beginning monthly, to conduct joint spectrum planning. This will go beyond the existing statutory requirement, as well as the existing Memorandum of Understanding between the agencies, which provides that the Chair and the Administrator meet twice a year.
- Reaffirm Roles and Responsibilities. Building on NTIA’s statutory role as manager of the federal government’s use of spectrum, the FCC and NTIA will update the nearly twenty-year-old Memorandum of Understanding between the agencies to address gaps in government coordination and to better reflect today’s spectrum opportunities and challenges.
- Renew Efforts to Develop a National Spectrum Strategy. The agencies will collaborate to help inform the development of a national spectrum strategy, increase transparency around spectrum use and needs, and establish long-term spectrum planning and coordination.
- Recommit to Scientific Integrity and Evidence-Based Policymaking. The agencies will work cooperatively to develop processes for spectrum engineering compatibility analysis. These will include a compilation of principles, guidelines, accepted technical standards, interference protection criteria, propagation models, and other characteristics.
- Revamp Technical Collaboration. The FCC and NTIA will foster proactive technical exchange and engagement with industry and other federal agencies by participating in cross-agency advisory groups. To start, the FCC will participate as an observer in the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee, and NTIA will participate as an observer in the FCC’s Technological Advisory Council and the Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
Reader Interactions