Why is UTC advocating an allocation of dedicated, “private” spectrum?
Utilities and other critical infrastructure industries (petroleum, railroads, pipelines and others) use spectrum for highly specialized wireless applications not developed for the general public. We currently operate dozens of different kinds of wireless networks on many frequency bands; however, there is no spectrum in the United States dedicated exclusively for use by critical service providers. Unlike the public safety community, which enjoys approximately 80 MHz of dedicated spectrum, all frequency bands used by utilities are shared with other private business and industrial users, sometimes millions of them. These are subject to congestion and increasing interference, while regulatory activity has reduced utility access to spectrum over the past decade. A dedicated allocation would provide protected capacity for the system growth and Smart Grid applications utilities must deploy in addition to their existing systems. The spectrum should be “private” as a regulatory matter, disting
Related Questions
- Should utilities expect to be required to use a dedicated allocation if it is granted? Would they be required to "give back" current spectrum?
- Why does UTC request the allocation for "critical infrastructure industries," rather than for utilities alone?
- Who is responsible for the allocation of wireless spectrum?
