ICYMI: The Spectrum Pipeline and Related Policy Reset — What’s Next?

Abstract blue and teal illustration of telecommunications towers with antennas and signal lines, set against swirling digital waves and circular graphic elements suggesting wireless connectivity and data transmission.

Posted in Conference News

During our January edition of Little Nuggets of Tech and Telecom, Professor Tom Hazlett, H.H. Macaulay Endowed Professor of Economics at Clemson University and the author of “The Political Spectrum: The Tumultuous Liberation of Wireless Technology, from Herbert Hoover to the Smartphone,” shared his thoughts on current spectrum policy, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC)’s capacity to conduct spectrum-related test cases, and where market mechanisms could more expeditiously and efficiently allocate spectrum rights.

Key Takeaways:

  • Spectrum sharing has been happening for decades. All 300+ million U.S. wireless customers share the spectrum their devices are using with all other users. 
  • The Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) sharing experiment, however, reveals the shortcomings of a sharing regime structured on fragmented ownership, and restrictive use and technical rules.  
  • Not all sharing regimes are created equal or produce the most efficient and impactful outcomes. 
  • Exclusive rights with market flexibility, such as those pursued by SpaceX for satellite-based networks, offer a more effective approach.
  • The reallocation of C-band spectrum demonstrates that competitive auction processes and market incentives can accelerate deployment and uncover underutilized resources faster than regulators alone might anticipate.
  • Overlay rights and secondary market tools remain underutilized but could facilitate smoother transitions, protect incumbents, and allow markets to negotiate allocations efficiently, including in the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) bands.
  • Government incumbents often resist spectrum reallocation due to institutional missions and political realities, not purely technical needs; third-party audits and compensation mechanisms can help overcome these barriers.

The overarching message: rather than regulators trying to future-proof technologies, policy should focus on future-proofing allocation systems, giving market participants the flexibility to deploy spectrum where it is most valuable.

Hazlett’s insights highlight the critical role of market-driven coordination and policy innovation in advancing U.S. wireless infrastructure and next-generation technologies.

You can watch or listen to the entire conversation on our YouTube channel.