Successful Interagency Spectrum Coordination Requires Discipline from the Top

On July 11, the Federalist Society hosted a webinar titled "Federal Spectrum Coordination: Pitfalls and Progress." The panel was moderated by attorney Scott Delacourt and the ITIF's Joe Kane, and featured two former NTIA Administrators as panelists: John Kneuer and David Redl. The panelists, drawing on their wealth of experience, discussed spectrum policy and interagency coordination on spectrum allocations. During the webinar, the panelists discussed the history of the NTIA and its Administrator position, processes overseen by the NTIA for coordinating among executive branch agencies for federal use of spectrum, interagency conflicts, as well as the issue of process reforms for improving interagency coordination among executive agencies and the FCC. The webinar is full of insights and worth a listen in full. But near the end, Mr. Redl made an excellent point about the necessity of the White House demanding discipline across the executive branch which is essential for ensuring that the interagency process is followed.

Also, as noted in an August 3, 2022 blog post, nearly a year ago the NTIA and the FCC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on spectrum coordination. Now Congress needs to pass the Spectrum Reauthorization Act of 2023 – H.R. 3565, so that there will be more spectrum available for the agencies to coordinate and reallocation for commercial use.