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500 MHz Initiative

A 2010 Presidential Memorandum directed the Secretary of Commerce, working through NTIA, to collaborate with the Federal Communications Commission to make available a total of 500 megahertz of Federal and nonfederal spectrum over the next 10 years for mobile and fixed wireless broadband use.

This initiative, to nearly double the amount of commercial spectrum, will spur investment, economic growth, and job creation while supporting the growing demand by consumers and businesses for wireless broadband services.
 

Related content

NTIA Letter to FCC on Commercial Operations in the 3550-3650 MHz Band

April 14, 2015
GN Docket No. 12-354

Overview

NTIA responds to the 3.5 GHz Band Notice for the purposes of: (1) proposing specific changes to the regulatory framework of the spectrum sharing model to effectively protect federal operations and maximize available spectrum available for commercial broadband; (2) outlining a phased implementation and approval process for commercial access to the 3.5 GHz Band; (3) designating smaller zones for the protection of federal systems based on new technical analysis; (4) addressing protection of commercial operations in the 3.5 GHz Band from federal radar systems; and (5) correctin

500 MHz Initiative
3550-3650 MHz

Promoting Spectrum Sharing In the Wireless Broadband Era

January 9, 2015

In the summer of 2010 -- just three years after the introduction of the iPhone -- President Obama called on the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to collaborate with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to free up critical radio spectrum to fuel the breakneck growth of the wireless broadband market. Today, this directive is more pressing than ever, with the wild popularity of smartphones and tablets driving unprecedented commercial demand for mobile bandwidth.

Identifying the spectrum to keep up is a top priority for NTIA, which manages federal spectrum usage. And promoting spectrum sharing across the public and private sectors is an important key to achieving this goal.

At NTIA, we recognize that spectrum is the lifeblood of the mobile broadband revolution. We are committed to ensuring the industry has the bandwidth it needs to continue to innovate and thrive.

But we face an important balancing act since federal agencies also rely on this precious and finite resource to perform all sorts of mission-critical functions – from communicating with weather satellites (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) to navigating passenger planes (Federal Aviation Administration) to operating weapons systems (Defense Department).

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