On July 6, NTIA released a report titled "Feasibility of Commercial Wireless Services Sharing with Federal Operations in the 3100-3550 MHz Band." The report's two primary findings are stated in the abstract:
First, the 3450-3550 MHz portion of this band is a good candidate for potential spectrum sharing, including at the commercial system power levels sought by the wireless industry. Second, although ultimately some sharing of spectrum below 3450 MHz may be possible as well, additional analysis of the entire band should be conducted to assess the various sharing mechanisms and the potential for relocating incumbents from some portion of the remainder of the band for commercial use.
As Free State Foundation scholars have stressed, the U.S. is running a mid-band spectrum deficit compared to our nation's competitors. It is an economic imperative to repurpose as much mid-band spectrum as reasonably possible and as quickly as can be done in order to support 5G services and reap their benefits. As a general matter, licensed spectrum can be put to more economically valuable use and is to be preferred over shared spectrum
This blog post offers no opinion on the merits of NTIA's report. But for another viewpoint on this matter, consider FCC Commissioner Michel O'Rielly's remarks on future wireless bands from July 9 for the New Jersey & New York Wireless Associations' 2020 Update Webinar:
We cannot afford to rest on our laurels or stop working hard to bring other bands into the spectrum pipeline. Almost all experts agree that the Commission must find upwards of 500 to 800 megahertz of additional spectrum for licensed commercial purposes in the next three to five years. I’ll throw out a couple to consider. Top of the list of next bands is 3.1 to 3.55 GHz. It currently houses a number of Department of Defense radar systems and has been identified by Congress for possible commercial purposes. I have made the argument that, of this 450 megahertz block, upwards of 200 must be cleared and go towards meeting our insatiable demand for licensed spectrum. I know the upper 100 can be repurposed without much heartburn, and we can work through the second 100 the same way. As for the remaining 250 megahertz in the lower portion of the band, the bulk of it, at a minimum, must be shared, as in the 3.5 GHz tiered structure of priorities. This would protect the DoD purposes while opening these portions to 5G services as well.
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