In the United States, responsibility for spectrum management is divided  between NTIA and FCC. It is comprised of representatives from 19 federal agencies that use  spectrum. For example, the plan does not identify or include quantitative  governmentwide data on federal spectrum needs. Additionally, throughout these processes, there is  heavy reliance on agencies to self-evaluate and report their current and  future spectrum needs. NTIA’s Data Management System Lacks Transparency and Data Validation Processes, Making It Uncertain If Spectrum Management Decisions Are Based on Accurate and Complete Data

NTIA’s data management system is antiquated and lacks transparency and  internal controls. Federal Agencies Lack Specific Guidance and Requirements from NTIA for Recording and Maintaining Accurate Data

NTIA has not established specific requirements for agencies to justify their  needs and to validate and verify data used to evaluate their current and  future spectrum needs. NTIA Has Taken Steps to Identify Spectrum for Future Wireless Broadband Use, yet NTIA and Federal Agencies Will Face Challenges in Analyzing and Repurposing This Spectrum

		NTIA Has Identified Federally Assigned Spectrum to Be Made Available for Future Wireless Broadband Use

In response to the recent initiatives to make a total of 500 MHz of  spectrum available for wireless broadband, NTIA has (1) identified 115  MHz of federally allocated spectrum to be made available for wireless  broadband use within the next 5 years, referred to as the Fast Track  Evaluation, and (2) developed an initial plan and timetable for repurposing  additional spectrum for broadband, referred to as the 10-Year Plan. NTIA officials said that they will prioritize the bands identified for  evaluation based on the factors in table 3, with the bands that best fulfill  this criteria being evaluated for potential repurposing first. Agencies currently operating in this band have been notified of the  pending evaluation, and NTIA and PPSG have identified comparable bands  for agency operations. The evaluation required  Navy, NOAA, and FAA to analyze and submit a significant amount of  detailed impact analyses that were not readily available, according to  officials with those agencies. NTIA’s spectrum management authority is broad in scope, but NTIA’s  efforts do not align with its authorities. However, lacking an overall strategic vision, NTIA  cannot ensure that spectrum is being used efficiently by federal agencies. However, federal agency officials face challenges—such as staff turnover  and resource constraints—when coordinating with field program staff to  obtain the information necessary for the frequency assignment  applications and reviews. Given that verifying the information for each  frequency assignment record could require significant spectrum  management resources that federal agencies might not currently have, it  would be beneficial for NTIA to consider options for a different approach  to obtain critical assignment information from the agencies. Approaches  may include efforts such as requiring agencies to conduct site surveys of  their spectrum-dependent systems, attesting to the accuracy of the data  provided to NTIA, or making changes to the structure of the 5-year review  program. Although NTIA is developing its new FSMS, full  implementation is still years away. In the meantime, without meaningful  data validation requirements, NTIA has limited assurance that the agency- reported data it collects are accurate and complete. Recommendations for Executive Action

To facilitate the effective governmentwide management of federal  spectrum use, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications  and Information should take the following actions:    To ensure NTIA’s previous efforts to develop a federal strategic plan are  not diminished, develop an updated plan that includes key elements of a  strategic plan, as well as information on how spectrum is being used  across the federal government, opportunities to increase efficient use of  federally allocated spectrum and infrastructure, an assessment of future  spectrum needs, and plans to incorporate these needs in the frequency  assignment, equipment certification, and review processes. To help ensure federal agencies are managing current and future spectrum  assignments efficiently, in consultation with IRAC, examine the 5-year  assignment review processes and consider best practices to determine if  the current approach for collecting and validating data from federal  agencies can be streamlined or improved. Contact information and major contributors to this report  are listed on appendix V.

Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

This report focuses on the federal use of spectrum and examines (1) the  extent to which the National Telecommunications and Information  Administration’s (NTIA) spectrum management oversight and policy  addresses governmentwide spectrum needs, (2) how federal agencies are  using assigned spectrum and the extent to which they manage their  spectrum use, and (3) what steps NTIA and the federal agencies have  taken to meet the requirements and expectations of the National  Broadband Plan and presidential memorandum to repurpose spectrum for  commercial broadband and what challenges these efforts face. Which Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC) agency do  you represent? 10.
Why GAO Did This Study

Radio frequency spectrum enables vital wireless communications services used by the federal government, businesses, and consumers. Spectrum capacity is necessary for wireless broadband (high-speed Internet access) and broadband deployment will boost the nation's capabilities in many important areas. As the demand for spectrum continues to increase, there is concern about adequate access to meet future needs. This requested report examines (1) how the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is managing spectrum needs of federal agencies, (2) how federal agencies are using and managing assigned spectrum, and (3) what steps NTIA has taken to meet recent initiatives aimed at making spectrum available for broadband. GAO reviewed NTIA's spectrum management documents; surveyed the 19 federal agencies comprising the Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee; and interviewed NTIA officials and industry and academic experts.

What GAO Found

NTIA is responsible for governmentwide federal spectrum management, but its efforts in this area have been limited. In 2003, the President directed NTIA to develop plans identifying federal and national (both federal and nonfederal) spectrum needs, and in 2008, NTIA issued the federal plan. GAO found this plan has several limitations, does not identify governmentwide spectrum needs, and does not contain key elements and best practices of strategic planning. NTIA has yet to issue the national plan. Furthermore, NTIA's primary spectrum management operations do not focus on governmentwide needs. Instead NTIA depends on agency self-evaluation of spectrum needs and focuses on interference mitigation, with limited emphasis on holistic spectrum management. Lacking a strategic vision, NTIA cannot ensure that spectrum is being used efficiently by federal agencies. Additionally, NTIA's data management system is antiquated and lacks internal controls to ensure the accuracy of agency-reported data, making it unclear if decisions about federal spectrum use are based on reliable data. NTIA is developing a new data management system, but full implementation of the system is years away. Federal agencies use spectrum for many purposes such as emergency communications and national defense, and NTIA requires the agencies to periodically evaluate their current and future spectrum needs. Agencies are supposed to ensure spectrum assignments fulfill established mission needs; however, NTIA does not have specific requirements for agencies to justify their spectrum assignments or validate data used for these evaluations. Consequently, NTIA has limited assurance that the data used to make spectrum management decisions are accurate. Federal agencies rely heavily on their program offices to obtain data for the required evaluations and often face challenges, such as resource constraints and staff turnover, when coordinating with field program staff. Given that validating spectrum assignments could require significant agency resources, it would be beneficial for NTIA to consider options for a different approach to obtain and validate critical spectrum assignment information from the agencies, such as requiring agencies to conduct site surveys or attest to the accuracy of data they submit. In response to recent initiatives, NTIA has taken steps to identify spectrum that could be made available for broadband use. First, NTIA evaluated various spectrum bands and identified 115 megahertz of spectrum that could be made available for broadband within the next 5 years based on criteria it developed. Second, NTIA developed an initial plan and timetable for evaluating and repurposing additional spectrum for broadband use in 10 years. Affected federal agencies--that is, those agencies operating devices in the spectrum bands being evaluated--encountered difficulties providing NTIA with the necessary data and analyses during the most recent evaluation. For example, according to the affected agencies, they were required to analyze and submit a significant amount of detailed impact analyses that were not readily available. Agencies will likely continue to face challenges providing such analyses to NTIA in the future as NTIA begins evaluating a larger number of spectrum bands for possible broadband use in the next 10 years. NTIA should develop an updated strategic plan, examine its assignment review processes to determine if the current approach can be improved, and establish internal controls to ensure the accuracy of agency-reported data. The Department of Commerce concurred with GAO's recommendation to examine the review processes and, citing competing priorities, partially concurred with the remaining two.