National Spectrum Consortium and NTIA Form New Multi-Stakeholder Forum

The National Spectrum Consortium (NSC) last week announced a partnership with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to engage in "multi-stakeholder collaboration on the National Spectrum Strategy," according to a press release.

The NSC and NTIA will host a series of "multi-stakeholder" meetings to provide an opportunity for input on spectrum band studies mandated by the National Spectrum Strategy. The first meeting will focus on the process for obtaining input from the public, with emphasis on the study of the 3.1-3.45 GHz and 7.125-8.4 GHz bands.

The NTIA plans to solicit information from industry and academia on spectrum use cases, coexistence scenarios, existing technology solutions, and technical inputs required for feasible coexistence. Meetings will be held approximately once every two months.

National Spectrum Strategy

The White House issued the National Spectrum Strategy on November 13, 2023, calling on NTIA to, among other tasks, lead efforts to ensure there is sufficient spectrum access to support Federal agency missions and private sector innovation.

The National Spectrum Strategy calls for detailed studies of selected spectrum bands to determine whether they may be repurposed for expanded or more efficient uses. To that end, NTIA and other Federal agencies are engaging in studies of the 3.1-3.45 GHz and 7.125-8.4 GHz bands, among others. The series of meetings are intended to ensure that all interested stakeholders can provide input to the spectrum band studies and monitor the results.

“NSC is uniquely positioned to contribute to the Administration’s efforts on spectrum management,” said NSC CEO Joe Kochan. “Our mission is to advance spectrum-related technologies through high-value research and prototyping projects, and our diverse membership includes spectrum technology experts representing the defense industrial base, telecom industry, and wireless research community."

“To design and implement smart spectrum strategy, we need input from the best and brightest in the wireless world — across federal agencies, academia, the private sector, and public interest. That is why we are so committed to a multi-stakeholder process,” said Shiva Goel, Senior Advisor for Spectrum Policy, NTIA.