Feds Detail Spectrum Plans for Mobile Broadband

The glut of new smartphones that have hit the market in recent years and the apps developers have built to run on them have ushered in a bright new era of mobile Internet connectivity. But amid that heavy use, wireless companies and policy makers warn that there is insufficient spectrum available to power the networks, raising alarms about a looming shortfall that could hobble the fast-growing communications sector.

In response to those concerns, President Obama directed the National Telecommunications Information Administration, a division of the Commerce Department, to partner with the Federal Communications Commission and other agencies to craft a plan for reallocating 500 MHz of spectrum for mobile broadband over the next decade, a goal the FCC had set in its national broadband plan earlier this year.

In a pair of reports issued on Monday, NTIA lays out a path for reallocating government spectrum, which it oversees, as well as commercial licenses, issued by the FCC, in an effort to make the necessary infrastructure available for robust wireless broadband networks. Enterprise Networking Planet takes a look.

The Obama administration on Monday detailed plans for freeing up 115 MHz of government spectrum for wireless broadband networks over the next five years, a down payment on a 10-year goal of 500 MHz.

The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) released a pair of reports today, one outlining candidates for reallocation to meet the long-term goal, and another “fast-track” report that targets two government spectrum bands that could be rapidly transitioned to wireless broadband.

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Commerce Dept. Outlines Spectrum Overhaul Plans