By Elena DeJaco
Let me take you into a world of high-stakes regulation at the intersection of engineering, politics, foreign policy, and national security. This world is the hidden backbone of our society with multibillion-dollar implications. It touches every human from the earth to the moon. It is the foundation of blockchain, AI, cellphones, satellites, drones, airplanes, mines, and factories. And, this field has a growing need for thoughtful new talent. I’m talking about radio spectrum policy; an area filled with complex negotiations, innovative new technologies, and colorful characters.
“This world is the hidden
backbone of our society with
multibillion-dollar implications.”
What is Spectrum?
“Spectrum” is a broad term for all the available radio frequencies, over which wireless communications can be sent. I like to think of my favorite radio station growing up, HITS 104.5. HITS used a specific band (a range of related frequencies) of spectrum, to broadcast (send information) to car radios like mine. As technology has improved, once simple radios have matured to communicate more complex information at higher speeds. Radios that once played the HITS are now capable of making telephone calls, streaming Netflix shows, connecting IoT devices, piloting drones, navigating cars and planes, mining cryptocurrency, maintaining blockchains, enabling mobile banking, and the list goes on. As such, spectrum is a fundamental resource enabling much of the function of the modern world.
In my interview with FTI President and CEO Janice Obuchowski, a longtime titan in the world of telecommunications, she illustrated spectrum policy in the following way: Frequencies are like real estate property in that space is limited, but everyone needs a home. Some can share a plot with others (e.g., a condo or apartment) and some need their own property. But the real high-stakes negotiations surround the beachfront property. In spectrum, beachfront property is so-called mid-band spectrum worth billions of dollars and ideal for many kinds of lucrative and critical technologies. Mid-band spectrum is highly valued because it can send more information at faster speeds and across further distances than other frequency bands.
Just as in real estate, the world of spectrum is replete with complaints about bad neighbors. But spectrum interference is not just a noisy upstairs neighbor throwing their third party of the week keeping you awake before your first law school final. No, “noisy” spectrum neighbors can corrupt lifesaving medical devices inside the county’s only hospital, interrupt a phone call with grandpa, throw off a hurricane warning system, or cut off communication between a combat unit and its commander during a risky mission.
“Spectrum also enabled the
app economy which was valued
above $6.3 trillion in 2021.”
Now, if you’re like me, you may need some data to really sink your teeth into a concept (I blame the engineer in me!). Spectrum auctions (a popular way to license frequencies) have raised $230 billion in the U.S since they began in 1993, demonstrating the impact of spectrum-related policy decisions. Spectrum also enabled the app economy which was valued above $6.3 trillion in 2021. This area of policy is so essential that it requires and achieves continuous cohesion from 193 countries (some of which are even at war with one another).
Why Get into Spectrum Policy?
What we do as spectrum policy experts is surely not the first thing people imagine when they think of technology policy. In fact, it is rarely taught in formal educational settings. In casual conversation, family and friends don’t typically understand what we do, and it can be difficult to explain.
Almost two years in, I’ve found that spectrum policy adheres to the old adage, “if you know, you know.” There is a flourishing community of experts to coordinate use of the limited spectrum available. The spectrum community needs regulators and policy experts to advocate and innovate across such a wide variety of challenging issues. At first glance, everything may seem technical, bipartisan, and like a well-oiled machine; but once you have been fully immersed in the issues, you can see the energy, emotion, and drama unfolding before your eyes.
“once you have been fully immersed
in the issues, you can see the energy,
emotion, and drama unfolding before your eyes.”
Ms. Moriah Mensah, Vice President at FTI, explains, “I committed to spectrum because it has all the elements I enjoy; it is a little bit technical (or a lot a bit technical depending on how deep you go), it is a little bit creative in terms of problem solving, it is policy intensive (the why, where, and for whom matters as much as the what), and it is politically nuanced especially when you get to the regulatory piece. It is international and domestic, Federal and commercial, and all these moving parts consistently come together to create and evolve the infrastructure which functions well enough to support cutting edge technology and the most advanced warfighters on the planet.”
I am about to graduate from law school, and have my choice of the trendiest technology fields, but fleeting trends aren’t nearly as exciting, nuanced, or important as spectrum. A few years ago, I was sitting in an office writing code for hardware that would have potentially made a movie download a few seconds faster. That just was not fulfilling enough to stake a future on. So, here I am choosing spectrum policy. Yes, at times it is about making download speeds a little faster, but most of the time it is about new frontiers such as enabling satellite capabilities, fostering the next big technology trend, protecting lifesaving emergency communications, or maintaining the United States’ warfighting superiority.
The most important thing for those curious about spectrum policy to know is that there is a need for new, thoughtful talent. There is no degree or single career path into spectrum policy, which means that entrance into the industry is easier than most. Nonetheless, the National Science Foundation has identified the creation of a new spectrum workforce as a critical need for the United States, meaning that the industry is growing and has space for a new generation of flourishing spectrum experts. So come on in and join a diverse community of frequency nerds who get to make an incredible impact and work on some of the most challenging issues of our day. We have a pot of coffee ready for you!
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.