Blog

What is spectrum management?

Our Weekly Spectrum Briefing usually talks about a current policy issue but recently we have been going back to basics, reconsidering some fundamental questions. The first being what is spectrum management? Surprisingly, national regulators rarely give definitions, so we are suggesting our own. We argue that spectrum management is controlling the airwaves for the benefit of society. This raises as many questions as it answers: Do we need to control spectrum?…
| Martin Sims

Our Weekly Spectrum Briefing usually talks about a current policy issue but recently we have been going back to basics, reconsidering some fundamental questions. The first being what is spectrum management?

Surprisingly, national regulators rarely give definitions, so we are suggesting our own. We argue that spectrum management is controlling the airwaves for the benefit of society.

This raises as many questions as it answers:

  • Do we need to control spectrum?
  • If so, why?
  • What are these benefits?
  • Why might they not be realised?

Our first article considers these issues. It’s part of a six-section Spectrum 101, the others are listed below.

Big questions like these are always debatable, so please feel free to comment. Or if you are a newcomer to the subject, we hope it will be a useful introduction.

The PolicyTracker Spectrum 101

  1. Why is spectrum management important?
  2. What are the key events which have shaped the evolution of spectrum policy?
  3. The evolution of spectrum auctions
  4. 5G spectrum
  5. 5G verticals
  6. A guide to WRC-23
By | Martin Sims
Martin is the Managing Director and Lead Analyst at PolicyTracker. He has over 20 years of spectrum policy experience.
Img Alt

Newsletter

Discover why hundreds of regulators and technology companies use our services

SUBSCRIBE
Comments
Mobile spectrum holdings: national drill down
It would be great of you could share..." by Muhammad Al Rabeiah
May 11, 2025
PolicyTracker Spectrum Database – download as Excel file
Dear PT team How often do you plan to..." by Laura Binkowski
May 01, 2025
Two European candidates to run for top spectrum job at ITU
India have proposed a canditate as well..." by Peter Gent
Apr 16, 2025
Operators disagree with Ofcom’s annual licence fees
This article has been updated to..." by Laura Sear
Apr 10, 2025
UK considers upper 1.4 GHz auction
The Danish Agency for Digital..." by Laura Sear
Feb 07, 2025