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2023 Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act (CSEA) Report

October 16, 2024

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Gina Raimondo
Secretary

Alan Davidson
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information

September 2024

Executive Summary

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) submits this report 
pursuant to Section 207 of the Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act (CSEA), Title II of Pub. 
L. 108-494 (47 U.S.C. 928 note), which provides as follows:

Read More about the 2023 Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act (CSEA) Report

Access a PDF version of the Report by clicking on the button below.

The NTIA shall submit an annual report to the Committees on Appropriations and Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, the Committees on Appropriations and Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the Comptroller General on –

(1) the progress made in adhering to the timelines applicable to relocation from eligible frequencies required under [former] section 118(d)(2)(A) of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act [now 47 U.S.C. 928(d)(2)(B)], separately stated on a communication system-by-system basis and on an auction-by-auction basis; and

(2) with respect to each relocated communication system and auction, a statement of the estimate of relocation costs required under section 113(g)(4) of such Act [47 U.S.C. 923(g)(4)], the actual relocation costs incurred, and the amount of such costs paid from the Spectrum Relocation Fund.

This report covers the period from January 2023 through December 2023 with the funds reported reflecting expenditures for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. As authorized by the CSEA, the Spectrum Relocation Fund (SRF) provides a centralized and streamlined funding mechanism through which federal agencies can recover the costs associated with relocating their radio communications systems or sharing the reallocated spectrum. This report, based on data the federal agencies submitted to NTIA and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), describes the progress the federal agencies have made in adhering to spectrum transition timelines. It also details, on a system-by-system basis, the costs estimated, funds transferred, and costs paid from the SRF.

This report is partitioned and provides status on five federal spectrum bands auctioned by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for non-federal or shared federal and non-federal use, as summarized below.

Part I: Seventeenth Annual Progress Report on the Relocation of Federal Radio Systems  from the 1710-1755 MHz Band. In September 2006, the FCC concluded the first auction  of licenses for Advanced Wireless Services (AWS)-1. Twelve federal agencies that  received SRF funds have completed their transition of the spectrum; however, the  Department of Energy continues to expend funds toward achieving comparable  capability. For FY 2023, outlays totaled $2.1 million dollars, bringing the total  cumulative outlays to $1.38 billion.

Part II: Ninth Annual Progress Report on the Transition of Spectrum in the 1695-1710 MHz Band. The AWS-3 auction concluded January 29, 2015. All five federal agencies in the 1695-1710 MHz band have completed the transition to indefinite sharing with non-federal licenses. For FY 2023, outlays for the eligible federal agencies for this band totaled $60.7 million, bringing the total cumulative outlays to $361.6 million.

Part III: Ninth Annual Progress Report on the Transition of Spectrum in the 1755-1780 MHz Band. The 1755-1780 MHz band also was part of the AWS-3 auction. Eight federal agencies have completed their transition efforts and achieved comparable capability. One agency (Air Force) is still in the progress of transitioning their spectrum use and a total of nine agencies continue spending funds toward achieving comparable capability. For FY 2023, outlays totaled $312 million, bringing the total cumulative outlays to $2.99 billion.

Part IV: Third Annual Progress Report on the Transition of Spectrum in the 3550-3650 MHz Band. Priority Access Licenses were auctioned (3.5 GHz auction) for shared use of federal spectrum as part of the CitizensBroadband Radio Service in 2020. For FY 2023, outlays for five Department of Defense (DOD) agencies totaled $16.3 million, bringing the total cumulative outlays to $47.8 million.

Part V: Third Annual Progress Report on the Transition of Spectrum in the 3450-3550 MHz Band. The 3.45-3.55 GHz auction concluded on January 4, 2022. Five DOD agencies have completed spectrum transition but continue spending to achieve comparable capability. For FY 2023, outlays totaled $131.2 million, bringing the total cumulative outlays to $276.3 million.

Introduction

With enactment of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, Pub. L. 112-96 (Tax Relief Act or Act), federal agencies are authorized payments for costs stemming from their actions to enable spectrum to be shared or relocated, as well as to recover certain pre-auction costs. The Act outlines a requirement for certain information to be included in a transition plan which must be approved by a Technical Panel prior to Office of Management and Budget> payment, following a required Congressional notification and waiting period. Accordingly, Parts II-V of this report reflect transition costs, which include both relocation and sharing costs, well as separate timelines associated with transitioning federal spectrum use and expending Spectrum Relocation Fund (SRF) funds. Note that annual reports eliminate detailed tables the year after a federal agency reports completion of the transition of the spectrum or completion of the expenditure of funds and achievement of comparable capability. For past details regarding expenditures or spectrum transitions, refer to the prior Annual Progress Reports under the following auctions:

  • 1710-1755 MHz Band (Advanced Wireless Services (AWS-1))
  • 1695-1710 MHz and 1755-1780 MHz Bands (AWS-3)

The following is provided to assist with interpretation of the tables provided for the 1695-1710 MHz, 1755-1780 MHz, 3550-3650 MHz, and 3450-3550 MHz bands.

“Summary of Sharing and Relocation Activities” Tables:

  • Estimated Completion of Transition: The month/year when a federal entity estimates it will have completed the transition of all of its spectrum use in the band as documented by the “transition timeline” in its transition plan approved by the Technical Panel. This could be achieved by either vacating the auctioned spectrum or implementing an indefinite sharing arrangement enabling non-federal use of the spectrum.
  • Transition Status: The overall status of an agency’s transition of the spectrum (by relocation or sharing) considering all operations of the agency, e.g., the status is ongoing unless the federal entity has reported completion of the transition of all of its spectrum use. Transition status is N/A for agencies that do not have assignments in the band.
  • Spending Status: This represents the status of expending SRF funds for an agency based on spending on all of its systems or programs. The status is ongoing unless the agency has reported completion of spending SRF funds for the band. It is N/A for an agency or system that transitions at zero cost (e.g., compressing operations). Agencies can still spend SRF funds after a transition is complete to achieve comparable capability.

“Status of Spectrum Transition” Tables:

  • Assignment Transition Completion Date: The month/year when a federal entity estimates it will have completed the transition of its frequency assignments in the  band for similar types of systems, represented as the maximum transition timeline  for that operation. This is based on the estimates by “system use” as documented in the approved Transition Plan and any timeline changes approved by NTIA in consultation with OMB and FCC. System use represents a categorization of frequency assignments, by type of system or operational use, and the status column reflects an aggregation of status of assignments or operations in the band. This could be achieved by either vacating the auctioned spectrum or implementing an indefinite sharing arrangement enabling non-federal use of the spectrum. If the spectrum transition is complete, the completion date is entered.
  • Status: Identifies the aggregated status of the transition of the federal entity’s frequency assignments for the indicated system use or operation. Status may be ongoing, completed, delayed, or N/A for an agency that does not have assignments in the band. A delay in the transition of any assignment will reflect a delayed status for that type of system use or operation.