The case for the defence (spectrum)

Defence ministries around the world control a significant amount of spectrum.

Thanks to advances in spectrum sharing, there is an opportunity to share some of these frequencies with commercial users, particularly from the mobile industry.

In the past, defence users have generally been unwilling to give up or share their spectrum. But in the US, the CBRS (citizens broadband radio service) has pioneered a model of dynamic spectrum sharing that offers reassurance to defence users.

Access is via a spectrum access system (SAS), a database that manages allocation for commercial users as well as protecting incumbents.

John Sherman, chief information officer for the US Department of Defense, has said it is possible for the armed forces to share frequencies without compromising national security.

So will other countries follow the US lead? This is just one of the questions explored in a new research note that has just been added to our dossier on spectrum sharing. The dossier is part of the Spectrum Research Service.

The research note is now available to Spectrum Research Service subscribers here.