DoD Turns to Private Sector for Spectrum Mgmt Aid; Frederick Moorefield Comments

The Defense Department is seeking concepts from the private sector to manage electromagnetic spectrum usage with the goal of fulfilling bandwidth requirements of the military, SIGNAL Magazine reported July 1.

Sandra Jontz writes DoD officials are developing a plan to implement its spectrum management strategy while factoring in national security issues and the reallocation of space on the spectrum.

The DoD also proposes to modify the Federal Communications Commission-mandated 1755 to 1780 megahertz band in order to enhance efficiency, according to the report.

SIGNAL Magazine reports the DoD is seeking to finance industry technologies the department sees fit for managing the military spectrum.

Frederick Moorefield Jr., director of spectrum policy and programs within the DoD’s office of the chief information officer, told the magazine the proposal is intended to address “commercial spectrum requests while ensuring that DOD has the time, money and comparable replacement spectrum to ensure national security mission requirements are protected.”

“Additionally, the proposals offer a balanced solution for repurposing the band in a way that combines sharing, relocation and some compression,” Moorefield said.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration and National Institute of Standards and Technology also recommend the sharing of spectrum rather than repurposing, Jontz reports.