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Spectrum Management

Protecting a Vital, Limited Resource

Overview

Many Federal agencies use radio frequency spectrum to perform vital operations. NTIA manages the Federal government's use of spectrum, ensuring that America's domestic and international spectrum needs are met while making efficient use of this limited resource. NTIA carries out this responsibility with assistance and advice from the Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee and by:

  • establishing and issuing policy regarding allocations and regulations governing the Federal spectrum use;
  • developing plans for the peacetime and wartime use of the spectrum;
  • preparing for, participating in, and implementing the results of international radio conferences;
  • assigning frequencies;
  • maintaining spectrum use databases;
  • reviewing Federal agencies' new telecommunications systems and certifying that spectrum will be available;
  • providing the technical engineering expertise needed to perform specific spectrum resources assessments and automated computer capabilities needed to carry out these investigations;
  • participating in all aspects of the Federal government's communications related emergency readiness activities; and
  • participating in Federal government telecommunications and automated information systems security activities.

Related content


Assessment of Compatibility between Global Positioning System Receivers and Adjacent Band Base Station and User Equipment Transmitters

Report ID
TM-20-536
December 07, 2020
Edward F. Drocella Jr., Cou-Way Wang, Nickolas LaSorte
Abstract

This technical memorandum provides the results of a compatibility assessment between terrestrial GPS L1 coarse/acquisition (C/A) code receivers operating in the 1559-1610 MHz RNSS band and terrestrial operations in the 1526-1536 MHz, 1627.5 1637.5 MHz, and 1646.5-1656.5 MHz bands. The Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC) Technical Focus Group (TFG) assessed compatibility between different categories of GPS L1 C/A code receivers and the proposed terrestrial deployment by examining the degradation in carrier-to-noise density ratio (C/N0), loss-of-lock, position error, and increase in acquisition/reacquisition time for GPS receivers.

Keywords: electromagnetic compatibility (EMC); GPS; spectrum sharing; harmful interference; 1526-1536 MHz; 1627.5 1637.5 MHz; 1646.5-1656.5 MHz

Compatibility of Federal Systems Operating in the 5850-5925 MHz Band with Intelligent Transportation Systems and Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure Devices

Report ID
21-551
October 22, 2020
Edward Drocella, Yang Weng, Michael Ghorbanzadeh, Edison Juleau, Nickolas LaSorte
Abstract

This Technical Report provides details about protection of federal operations in the 5.850-5.925 GHz (5.9 GHz) band from new operations considered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as part of the agency’s comprehensive review intended to allow for the highest and best use of the band. As part of its ongoing effort to accommodate new commercial wireless services, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) worked with agencies that operate federal systems in the band to determine the protections needed to permit new commercial services to operate without causing impact to incumbent operations. To facilitate the FCC’s expeditious review of the record, NTIA already submitted to the FCC a letter setting forth the relevant protection requirements derived from the numerous details provided in this Technical Report.

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