US Government Releases National Spectrum Strategy Implementation Plan

The US Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released the National Spectrum Strategy Implementation Plan, a public roadmap to meet the goals of the National Spectrum Strategy. Building a spectrum pipeline is vital to meet the growing demand for airwaves to carry out public and private sector work.

The Implementation Plan details, among other things, the timeline, milestones, and responsible agencies for in-depth study of the 2,786 megahertz of spectrum identified in the Strategy to determine suitability for potential new uses. That includes studying the potential for repacking, compression and relocation of airborne radars and other federal systems in the Lower 3 GHz to allow for commercial use.

The Implementation Plan also specifies outcomes, responsible federal agencies, and timelines to meet the goals of the Strategy, including strategic objectives for increased coordination and planning, research and development (R&D), and workforce development. It calls for using the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (CSMAC) to build a new cooperative process for forming spectrum policy, with implementation of a national long-term spectrum planning process expected by Sept. 2026.

The White House released the National Spectrum Strategy and a Presidential Memorandum (PM), Modernizing United States Spectrum Policy and Establishing a National Spectrum Strategy, on November 13, 2023, and this was covered by an earlier ARC blog titled USA Releases National Spectrum Strategy to Advance Wireless Leadership. The Presidential Memorandum tasked NTIA with publishing the Implementation Plan within 120 days.

The National Spectrum Strategy identified a pipeline of spectrum bands to study for potential repurposing, called for an improved framework for collaboration on spectrum policy, urged improved spectrum access, and called for the development of a National Spectrum Workforce Plan. 

The Implementation Plan, which is intended to be a living document, outlines the beginning and expected completion dates of the specific outcomes for each strategic objective in the Strategy.

The work on the spectrum band studies will begin this year, with the technical aspects of studies expected to be completed by the end of next year. The final reports and recommendations will be publicly available on a rolling timeline.