Unlocking Spectrum Value through Improved Allocation, Assignment and Adjudication of Spectrum Rights

Technological developments have continued to increase the importance of radio spectrum, with citizens, companies, and government users increasing their use of wireless-enabled services of all kinds, from smartphone apps to satellite navigation.

Since technology places limits on the coexistence of multiple radio systems, usage rights must be allocated among various competing uses. This Hamilton Project discussion paper describes the importance of moving toward a more economically efficient system for managing the use of wireless spectrum, and proposes concrete policy steps to move us closer to such a system.

In particular, it sets forth three pillars of a reformed policy regime:

1. Reduce ambiguity about the responsibilities of receivers to tolerate interference;
2. Reduce the drawbacks of excessive band fragmentation;
3. Move adjudication from the current ad hoc and politically charged process to a more fact-based procedure, either in the FCC and/or in a newly created Court of Spectrum Claims.