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Bush Spectrum Policy Plan Spurs Pentagon Fears

By Staff Writer | June 6, 2003

      A Bush White House spectrum policy initiative, unveiled Thursday, is creating serious angst among some officials within the Department of Defense (DoD). President Bush has ordered the Department of Commerce to lead a two-year review of current spectrum policy, exploring how spectrum is used by the government and private industry. The administration made clear that it intends to use the results of the review to formulate major reforms in spectrum policy, thereby making it easier for industry players to garner – and perhaps warehouse – much more of this valuable resource.

      But Pentagon sources say the president’s plan will likely result in the DoD having to give up exclusive ownership of spectrum used – or reserved for use – by the military. In particular, U.S. Air Force officials are especially concerned that a great deal of spectrum currently held in reserve for future weapons use, such as GPS-guided smart weapons, may have to be surrendered to the private sector.

      For more on this story, see the June 11 issue of PBI Media’s new Telecom Policy Report. For info on subscribing to PBI Media’s newsletters, check out our Web site at http://www.telecomweb.com/catalog.