In November 2024, the Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) completed a study of the Lower 37 GHz band (37-37.6 GHz), paving the way for a co-equal, shared-use framework for government and commercial users in this "innovation band." It represents the first deliverable under the National Spectrum Strategy directive to examine a key set of bands to ensure U.S. leadership in spectrum-based services now and into the future.
Culminating an ambitious ten-month effort, these findings build on prior collaborative efforts of NTIA, DoD, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for Federal and non-Federal operations to deploy on a shared basis.
The report recommends a Federal and non-Federal co-primary sharing coordination framework for the Lower 37 GHz band. Sharing in the 37.2-37.6 GHz portion of the band would be on a co-equal basis between Federal and non-Federal users with priority access for DoD in the lower 200 megahertz segment (37.0-37.2 GHz), creating a "proving ground" for technological solutions for unique military user needs. The report also identifies the need to protect passive, space-based operations in the adjacent 36-37 GHz band, which is relied on extensively by DoD for Earth observations from environmental satellites for a variety of mission needs with data also shared with Federal and international partners. Finally, the report recommends incorporating the World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19) decision on protecting passive systems from the potential interference from expanded fixed and mobile wireless deployments that the proposed framework will enable.
The report presents a way forward to improve sharing opportunities to meet national economic priorities while also advancing national security requirements. Public inputs provided to an FCC Public Notice on a potential coordination and licensing framework in the Lower 37 GHz band helped shape the recommendations as well as robust engagement across the Federal government.
The report recognizes the need for flexible access for both Federal and non-Federal users to foster technological advances and policy innovation. Potential use cases include fixed wireless access; high-capacity backhaul; cable supplement for Internet of things (IoT) networks and augmented reality applications; and mobile or private networks that support industrial IoT, smart factories and other high-bandwidth indoor communications applications.
Federal users, including DoD, may leverage some of this same technology, including as part of potential additional adaptations to meet mission requirements. DoD is evaluating additional use cases to meet military missions, including unmanned systems and Wireless Power Transfer.
The 37 GHz sharing report is available here: https://www.ntia.gov/other-publication/2024/national-spectrum-strategy-37-ghz-spectrum-sharing-report.
