Trade body launches group to explore 5G spectrum sharing with Defense Department
The National Spectrum Consortium has established a task group to explore the use of mid-band spectrum for commercial 5G with the Department of Defense.
The consortium has set up the Partnering to Advance Trusted and Holistic Spectrum Solutions Task Group (PATHSS) to allow industry and the Department of Defense (DOD) to exchange sensitive and classified information on current and future military and commercial requirements for the bands.
In particular, the new group will work with DOD on the commercial use of mid-band spectrum within the 3.1-3.45 GHz range.
Late last year, the National Spectrum Consortium (NSC) was awarded $2.5 billion by the DOD to test prototypes of dual-use technologies that use the electromagnetic spectrum.
NSC is comprised of staff at 400 companies and academic institutions, and its mission is to foster collaboration among government, industry and academia to develop technologies that broaden military and commercial access to the electromagnetic spectrum for 5G.
Earlier in 2020, NSC received contracts to help work on DOD 5G testbeds, with the intention of allowing military bases to trial new technology more quickly.
Commenting on the task group launch, NSC chair Lizy Paul said: “We are thrilled to launch this first-of-its-kind industry and government collaboration and create a new model to drive spectrum sharing outcomes.”
“PATHSS is explicitly designed to foster trust among stakeholders and provide the forum required to develop a shared understanding of varying technology and policy needs. PATHSS will ensure that future spectrum decisions will result in realistic, collaborative spectrum sharing implementations,” she added.
