The Pentagon is looking for ways to give commercial wireless providers access to airwaves that are currently reserved for military use, Reuters reported Thursday.
David Alexander and Phil Stewart write Teri Takai, Defense Department chief information officer, said that federal agencies are working to meet the Obama administration’s goal of reallocating 500 megahertz of spectrum within 10 years for industry use.
“Because of our long lead times in actually being able to make major technology shifts, it’s important that we have a strategy that is thinking long term,” Takai said.
Air Force Maj. Gen. Robert Wheeler told a news conference the Pentagon plans to make additional bandwith available by vacating a portion of its existing spectrum, sharing with companies or compressing military communications, Alexander and Stewart report.
“That’s how we’re going forward with it,” Wheeler said, according to the report.
“It also depends on what industry needs. … So there’s basically a combination,” he added.
In July, the Pentagon proposed sharing airwaves in the 1755-to-1780 megahertz band with telecommunications firms, Alexander and Stewart write.
Reuters reports the department also seeks to upgrade military communications equipment in order to maximize use of existing frequency.
