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Figure 5-7<br />

Exclusive and Shared Allocation of Radio Spectrum<br />

Megahertz<br />

1,600<br />

1,434<br />

1,400<br />

1,200<br />

1,000<br />

1,058<br />

800<br />

600<br />

629<br />

400<br />

359<br />

200<br />

0<br />

Exclusive Federal Exclusive Private Dominant Federal<br />

(Shared)<br />

Source: National Telecommunications and Information Administration (2009).<br />

Shared<br />

spectrum could then be auctioned off to commercial users or, if appropriate,<br />

made widely available on an unlicensed basis (more on this below). The<br />

Federal user would be relocated to alternative spectrum that could be used<br />

more intensively and economically, particularly if additional resources were<br />

made available for investment in newer equipment.<br />

In addition to economizing on its aggregate spectrum usage, the government<br />

can further alleviate spectrum scarcity by rationalizing spectrum<br />

allocation. There are some spectrum bands that, above and beyond the<br />

properties that make them valuable in general (for example, strong propagation<br />

through buildings and in rural areas), are particularly valuable for<br />

commercial applications, such as if they are complementary to other commercial<br />

spectrum bands. In those cases, value can be unlocked by having the<br />

government relocate from those bands to other bands that do not have that<br />

property—again, under the condition that this can be done without compromising<br />

vital missions and that the relocation costs are not prohibitively high.<br />

Box 5-4 describes several spectrum investment policies that have been<br />

undertaken or proposed by the Administration.<br />

There is also substantial scope to reallocate some spectrum currently<br />

licensed to private entities to a more valuable use in wireless broadband.<br />

Some incumbent firms, such as over-the-air broadcast television stations,<br />

hold rights to spectrum that are much more valuable as wireless broadband<br />

202 | Chapter 5

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