TELECOMMUNICATIONS: History and Current Issues Related to Radio Spectrum Management
Abstract
This report discusses the preliminary observations from work on radio spectrum management issues. The radio spectrum is the medium that makes possible wireless communications of all sorts, such as cellular and paging services, radio and television broadcasting, radar, and satellite-based services. As new technologies that depend on the radio spectrum continue to be developed and used more widely, managing the spectrum has grown increasingly challenging. The radio spectrum can become congested if too many users operate on it in an uncoordinated manner. Moreover, because spectrum is closely tied to international agreements on spectrum use. Therefore, the radio spectrum must be carefully managed, both on a national and international level, to meet the needs of a constantly increasing variety of services and users. One important task of spectrum management is the allocation of spectrum, or the apportionment of spectrum between the different types of uses and users of wireless services. As demand for spectrum has grown, this task has become more difficult, raising complex questions that cannot be easily answered.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 11, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA402790
Entities
People
- Peter F. Guerrero
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office