TPRC 2024: The 52nd Research Conference on Communications, Information and Inter

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Abstract:
This paper explores a tension in spectrum policy that is unnecessarily limiting public access to the airwaves and the benefits of more intensive spectrum sharing and connectivity. Most spectrum licenses (including Federal spectrum assignments) confer exclusive or at least primary rights to transmit on designated frequency bands at specific locations, or over defined geographic areas, including inside factories, office buildings and other facilities owned and controlled by others. This traditional form of licensing precludes property owners from using the spectrum inside buildings under their own control even if the transmissions are contained and would not cause harmful interference to the primary licensee’s operations outdoors. While unlicensed operations have been authorized, until very recently the rules have not been crafted to distinguish between how access rights could vary based on indoor-only use.

The potential benefits of different rules for indoor-only use are becoming more evident. In 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted an order authorizing low power, indoor-only (LPI) use of 1,200 megahertz on an unlicensed basis across the entire 6 GHz band (5925-7125 MHz), which was already in use by incumbent licensees that include more than 50,000 high-power fixed microwave links. LPI use of this spectrum indoors is limited to roughly one-fourth the standard power of Wi-Fi, yet is considered extremely useful since the vast majority of internet data (including at least 80% of mobile device data traffic) is transmitted indoors and over Wi-Fi. LPI highlights the potential to authorize indoor-only use in many other bands where users comply with power, device form factor, or other requirements that protect the primary licensees from harmful interference. 

This paper explores the policy and technical considerations related to expanding indoor-only authorizations to more bands. For example, controlling the spectrum inside a facility is more practical at higher frequencies where transmissions do not readily penetrate building materials or travel long distances. This concept is particularly relevant now, as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and FCC collaborate to implement the National Spectrum Strategy, which is premised on studying alternative means to expand private sector use of underutilized Federal bands, particularly bands occupied by U.S. military systems. Five Federal bands that may be prime candidates for indoor-only authorizations—1,675 megahertz in total—are discussed in this report. LPI underlays also provide another way to expand on the “use it or share it” approach to spectrum sharing, but without the need for control by a geolocation database.

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Abstract:
Over recent decades, US spectrum policy has transitioned from a case-by-case administrative model to a Coasian one, where market mechanisms allocate exclusive yet flexible spectrum rights. This paper suggests that observing both formal and informal spectrum-management practices calls for a policy framework enabling comparative analysis across various governance structures, from exclusive access to spectrum commons. We propose an alternative framework, drawing on Elinor Ostrom's research on polycentric systems, to evaluate spectrum-sharing solutions, particularly unlicensed spectrum. Our analysis suggests that "unassigned" spectrum bands, like communal ownership or private commons within a flexible-licensing regime, can balance the trade-offs of exclusive and nonexclusive access.

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Abstract:
The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) and its counterparts globally keep a keen eye on spectrum concentration. This is because concentration in input markets is conjectured to have the effect of driving anticompetitive behavior in the relevant output markets. Spectrum is a necessity for the provision of mobile wireless services, and by accumulating spectrum holdings mobile carriers could wield their spectrum portfolios to obtain market advantages over competitors. For example, simply preventing spectrum to fall in the hands of your competitors increases deployment costs for them going forward, making them less competitive and in turn allowing the carrier that has accumulated the spectrum to compete less fiercely for customers. More spectrum, however, lowers your own production costs. In this paper, we develop theory describing the pro and anti-competitive incentives of spectrum accumulation and evaluate to what extent these theoretical findings can be empirically supported in the US market for mobile services. Generally, it should be expected that more concentrated markets exhibit lower product quality than less concentrated markets. To empirically test the theory, we will examine a combination of FCC Measuring Broadband America data and Universal Licensing System data to detect any econometrically significant relationships between mobile service quality and spectrum concentration.

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Abstract:
Spectrum sharing, including dynamic spectrum sharing, is arguably the most significant overarching feature of the new era of spectrum management. The emphasis on sharing spectrum recognizes the importance of balancing the needs of different users of an exceptionally valuable resource. Despite the equitable features of spectrum sharing, what has been underemphasized in spectrum management is its colonial features from the perspective of Native Nations. This paper proposes ways to decolonize dynamic spectrum sharing and, in the process, improve prospects for a new spectrum era that recognizes Native Nations as collaborators in the American system of spectrum management.

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Abstract:
This paper is a comparative analysis of national strategies for developing mobile technology in four countries–China, India, South Korea, and the United States–encompassing state support for research and development, innovation, industrial policy, and standard setting. Three generations of mobile technology are examined from 3G to 5G. We conclude with speculations on emerging policies in the realm of 6G in the context of past national experiences with, and learning from, previous generations of mobile technology.

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Abstract:
Seeking to accelerate digitalisation of enterprises, some regulators have started relying on radio spectrum set asides for enterprises. Set-asides reserve radio bandwidth for potential use by enterprises in specific locations. This study empirically examines the impact of spectrum set-asides on enterprise digitalisation and public network quality. We find no evidence that set-asides have accelerated adoption of private networks or more broadly defined digitalisation of enterprises. However, use of radio spectrum set-asides presents a trade off, as it diminishes spectrum availability for public networks, potentially affecting download speeds and overall service quality. We find that 100 MHz of additional spectrum nationally was linked to 4.5 Mbps greater download speeds (or 24% increase). These findings underscore the need for cautious policy approaches and consideration of alternative spectrum access frameworks.