WASHINGTON — The U.S. Federal Communications Commission and a Department of Commerce agency are revising the way they jointly manage U.S. spectrum policy as the government seeks ways to free up spectrum for new commercial wireless applications.
FCC chairman Michael Powell and Commerce Undersecretary Nancy Victory said they are revising a 1940s memorandum of understanding used to jointly manage public spectrum. A new memorandum would detail how the two agencies would interact in the future on spectrum issues.
Both agencies have been under pressure from the wireless industry to work more closely on spectrum management. Some in industry have been miffed by the stance of the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration, headed by Victory, in a dispute over military spectrum use.
During a Tuesday (Dec. 10) meeting here, the agencies also discussed the coordination of government and commercial use of spectrum. They also considered ways of making greater use of spectrum while limiting the potential for interference to existing users. The interference issue prompted the FCC's go-slow approach to deploying ultrawideband wireless technology.
The agencies said they are also discussing emerging technologies that could be used to promote spectrum access and limit interference.
"Our spectrum policies need to reflect this dynamic marketplace and to be flexible enough to keep up with innovation," FCC chairman Powell said.
Powell and Victory also agreed to schedule a spectrum summit here in the early summer of 2003.
