NTIA Proposes Changes to Spectrum Relocation Fund to Accommodate Sharing

NTIA proposes potential changes to the spectrum relocation fund (SRF) as an appendix to a report to Congress the FCC was required to file under the Mobile Now Act. The commission didn’t provide the report or comment Thursday. “The most significant challenge to using the SRF to support sharing with unlicensed operations is likely to be funding, in terms of both ensuring a sufficient balance in the SRF and the budgetary implications of providing such funding,” NTIA reported: “Any increase in demand for funding from the SRF is potentially problematic, given the limited resources.” Federal agencies are under increasing pressure to share spectrum with industry and the public. Citizens broadband radio service relies on using Navy and other federal spectrum, and the FCC indicated agencies should have their sharing costs reimbursed (see 2002180061). One option would be to use “a portion of the anticipated or actual revenue from future (not yet scored) auctions,” NTIA said. Funds could come from current SRF balances, the agency said: “This option offers the potential for funding to be made available without the delay that is likely in connection with identifying a future, not-yet-scored auction. Significant obstacles to this approach are the need to identify scoring offsets for the new costs and the risks associated with directing SRF funds to this purpose that potentially could be needed for other uses.” Usage fees or fees charged to communications equipment makers or distributors is another option but “would require substantial further study to determine whether the collection of such fees would be practical” and would be “logistically complex and might not generate sufficient income.” Location costs would be supported by leasing fees for federal spectrum, the agency said, though “significant resources would be required by NTIA and other federal agencies to negotiate and manage these spectrum leases.”