Trump Memo Orders Development of a National Spectrum Policy

President Donald Trump signed a memo Thursday directing Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to work with others in the administration and with industry to develop a comprehensive national spectrum policy. Trump also rescinded two Obama administration-era spectrum policy memos. The Trump memo requires all government agencies to report to the Commerce Department on current and anticipated spectrum requirements, officials said.

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy will report on emerging technologies and their demand for nonfederal spectrum and on research and development aimed at promoting spectrum efficiency, officials said. Ross also will issue a report on existing and planned efforts for repurposing spectrum.

The administration’s goal is maintaining U.S. leadership “whether in 5G or any future technology,” said Michael Kratsios, OSTP deputy assistant to the president-technology policy.

The memo creates a Spectrum Strategy Task Force within the Executive Office of the President, Kratsios said. The task force will work with NTIA, Ross and the FCC “in coordinating implementation of this memo,” Kratsios said.