NTIA Spectrum Strategy Implementation Plan Announced at FSF Policy Conference

At Free State Foundation's 16th Annual Policy Conference held on March 12, the NTIA's Senior Spectrum Advisor Scott Blake Harris announced the release of the its National Spectrum Strategy Implementation Plan.

The Plan and an accompanying press release briefly summarizing it are available at the NTIA's website. Video of Mr. Blake's keynote address is available online. If Mr. Blake's prepared remarks at FSF's Annual Policy Conference become available, we will post them. FSF appreciates Mr. Blake's appearance at the Conference.

 

On January 2 of this year, FSF President Randolph May and Senior Fellow Andrew Long filed comments with the NTIA on the implementation of the National Spectrum Strategy. In those comments, FSF President May and Mr. Long emphasized the crisis of the empty spectrum pipeline and the need to take action to repurpose mid-band spectrum for commercial use. Stay tuned for more from FSF Scholars on the NTIA's Implementation Plan, spectrum policy, and the 17th Annual Policy Conference.
 

(*This post was updated on 3/15/2024 with information and links to the video of Mr. Blake's address at #FSFConf16.)

Three Weeks from Today! FSF's Premier Policy Conference - Register Now!

REGISTER NOW!

The Free State Foundation will hold its Sixteenth Annual Policy Conference on March 12, 2024, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. This annual conference is widely acknowledged to be one of the nation's premier law and policy events.

 

As always, a truly outstanding lineup of senior officials and prominent experts from the FCC, other government agencies, industry, academia, and think tanks will discuss and debate the most important communications and Internet policy issues of the day. Topics will include net neutrality, broadband subsidies, ACP extension, USF reform, spectrum reform, the First Amendment and free speech, and more!

 

Confirmed Speakers Include:

 

Robert Branson – President and CEO, Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC)

 

Brendan Carr – Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission

 

Michelle Connolly - Professor of the Practice, Economics Department, Duke University, and member of the Board of Academic Advisors of the Free State Foundation

 

Seth Cooper – Director of Policy Studies and Senior Fellow, Free State Foundation

 

David Chorzempa - Vice President & Associate General Counsel, AT&T

 

Mignon Clyburn - Former Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission, and Principal, MLC Strategies, LLC

 

David Don - Senior Vice President, Public Policy, Comcast Corporation

 

Scott Harris – Senior Spectrum Advisor, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)

 

Blair Levin – Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Brookings Metro, and Policy Analyst, New Street Research

 

Andrew Long – Senior Fellow, Free State Foundation

 

Randolph May – President, Free State Foundation

 

Michael O’Rielly – Former Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission, and Adjunct Senior Fellow, Free State Foundation

 

Jeffrey Rosen - Former Acting Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General of the United States, and former General Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor at the White House Office of Management and Budget 

 

Nathan Simington – Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission

 

Registration is complimentary, including continental breakfast and lunch. But space is always limited. You must register to attend!

Register Now!

 

#FSFConf16

FSF Calls for Fast Action on Mid-Band in National Spectrum Strategy

On April 17, the Free State Foundation filed public comments with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in the agency's proceeding for the Development of a National Spectrum Strategy. As FSF's comments observe, there is a lack of available spectrum that is needed for delivering next-generation wireless services in the years ahead. To maintain of U.S. global leadership on 5G makes it imperative that the spectrum pipeline be replenished. The federal government is the primary occupier and user of a significant amount of spectrum, particularly in the mid-band. And while spectrum is needed for continued support of national security, law enforcement, and other governmental functions, much of the government-occupied is going underutilized. Hopefully, the NTIA's development and implementation of a National Spectrum Strategy will be swiftly developed and implemented to make more spectrum available for commercial services and help ensure that its value and use are maximized.

To this end, two policy imperatives are set forth in the initial paragraph of FSF's comments are set forth in the initial paragraph: 

The agency should adopt and implement its proposal to identify at least 1,500 MHz of spectrum for study – and, importantly, it should make determined efforts to reallocate at least 1,500 MHz of spectrum for more commercial use. And while the maintaining the availability of sufficient unlicensed spectrum should remain an important objective, the National Spectrum Strategy's short-term priority should be accomplishing the repurposing of more mid-band spectrum for exclusive licensed use, starting with the 3.1-3.45 GHz band. 

FSF's comments recommend that low-, mid-, and high-band spectrum be identified and reallocated for commercial wireless use. Additionally, FSF's comments recognize that dedicating spectrum for unlicensed use such as Wi-Fi also can yield considerable value and use. For more details, FSF's comments are available online. 

 

The NTIA's ongoing efforts to develop and implement a National Spectrum Strategy was a subject of a keynote address at #FSFConf15 on March 28 of this year by Scott Blake Harris, Senior Spectrum Advisor at the NTIA. Video of Mr. Blake's keynote is available online. 

A National Spectrum Strategy has been long awaited. Indeed, back in January 2019, FSF filed comments with the NTIA, under the prior administration, for the agency's earlier proceeding to develop a sustainable national spectrum strategy. That earlier proceeding never succeeded in accomplishing its task. Hopefully, the current administration and proceeding at the NTIA will continue apace and have an implementation plan ready by the summer of this year. We wish Mr. Harris and the agency success in promptly assembling and putting into action a National Spectrum Strategy that will boost spectrum use and efficiency and put the U.S. solidly out in front on 5G and, one day, 6G.

Videos from FSF's Fifteenth Annual Policy Conference Now Available!

 All the Videos from #FSFConf15 Are Released!

Welcome and Introduction by Randolph May, President, The Free State Foundation, and the Opening Keynote Address by Congressman Bob Latta, 

Chairman, House Communications and Technology Subcommittee

Videos of Senator Ted Cruz, Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and Senator John Thune, Ranking Member, Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband

Keynote Address – Scott Blake Harris, Senior Spectrum Advisor, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)

"What's Been Bugging Me Lately!"

 

Moderator: Randolph May – President, The Free State Foundation

 

Panelists:

 

Enrique Armijo – Professor of Law, Elon University School of Law and Member of FSF's Board of Academic Advisors; Michelle Connolly – Professor of the Practice of Economics, Duke University and Member of FSF's Board of Academic Advisors; and Christopher Yoo – Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and Member of FSF's Board of Academic Advisors

"Hot (and Important) Topics in Communications Policy"

 

Moderators: Seth Cooper – FSF Director of Communications Policy Studies and Senior Fellow and Andrew Long – FSF Senior Fellow

 

Panelists:

 

Rick Chessen – Senior Vice President, Law & Regulatory Policy, NCTA; Chris Lewis – President and CEO, Public Knowledge; Clint Odom – Vice President of Strategic Alliances & External Affairs, T-Mobile; Michael O'Rielly – Former Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission

Keynote Conversation – "Views from the Top of the FCC"

 

Moderator: Randolph May – President, The Free State Foundation

Brendan Carr – Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission, and Nathan Simington – Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission

FSF's Annual Can't Miss Policy Conference on March 28! Space Is Limited!

REGISTER NOW HERE! Broadband Deployment and Adoption; Net Neutrality and Internet Freedom; Spectrum Policy and 5G; Privacy Regulation and Data Security; The FCC, NTIA, and FTC; Cancel Culture and Constitutional Culture...and more!  Keynote Speakers Include:   FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr

Scott Blake Harris Senior Spectrum Advisor, NTIA FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington

FTC Commissioner Christine Wilson

WHAT: FSF's Fifteenth Annual Policy Conference   WHERE: National Press Club, Washington, DC   WHEN: Tuesday, March 28, 2023 – 9:00 AM - 2:30 PM   The Free State Foundation will hold its Fifteenth Annual Policy Conference on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. This annual conference is widely acknowledged to be one of the nation's premier law and policy events.   As in previous years, a truly outstanding lineup of senior officials and prominent experts from the FCC, FTC, other government agencies, industry, academia, and think tanks will discuss and debate the most important "hot button" communications and Internet policy issues of the day. These include regulations and policies relating to broadband deployment and adoption, spectrum, privacy protections, as well as competition policy, Cancel Culture, and other issues. Confirmed speakers include:   Enrique Armijo – Professor of Law, Elon University School of Law Brendan Carr – Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission Rick Chessen – Senior Vice President, Law & Regulatory Policy, NCTA - The Internet & Television Association Michelle Connolly – Professor of the Practice, Duke University Kathleen Grillo – Senior Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs, Verizon Scott Blake Harris – Senior Spectrum Advisor, National Telecommunications and Information Administration Chris Lewis – President and CEO, Public Knowledge Michael O'Rielly – Former Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission Nathan Simington – Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission  Christine Wilson – Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission  Christopher Yoo – Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School REGISTRATION IS COMPLIMENTARY, INCLUDING CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST AND LUNCH.   BUT YOU MUST REGISTER TO ATTEND. REGISTER NOW HERE!   #FSFConf15