Spectrum Needs Become Visible

Signal, Mar 2008 by Lawlor, Maryann

Transparent asset sarners attention from top down and bottom up.

The Global War on Terrorism is pushing the visibility and value of spectrum to the forefront. Problems encountered during current operations illustrate how devices that find their way onto the battlefield without thorough spectrum requirement vetting are costing lives. Whether the challenge is systems that interfere with each other or equipment that has not been tested in the electromagnetic environment in which it will be used, the consequence could be mission failure instead of success, death instead of life. Military leaders are committed now more than ever to not only keeping spectrum management in the limelight but also continually checking on its progress.

Spectrum managers and military leaders conducted open and frank discussions about the issues surrounding current challenges in spectrum supportability at the Annual Defense Spectrum Summit, held December 10-14,2007, in Crystal City, Virginia. Throughout speeches and panel presentations, uniformed and civilian U.S. Defense Department personnel alike agreed on a laundry list of spectrum management concerns. They also concurred wholeheartedly that fixing these problems must be a top priority, several offering possible solutions.

Among the issues mentioned most often was the shrinking amount of spectrum available for military use, due at least in some part to auctions. While auctioning sections of unused spectrum to the highest commercial bidder fattens department coffers, it also results in a reduction of available frequencies just as more spectrum-demanding devices pour into the field.

This economic conundrum extends beyond the military. Because the commercial sector is purchasing the spectrum so it can introduce new products to the marketplace, auctions boost the nation's economy as well, and it is not likely that this wellspring for potential profits will dry up soon. "Regardless of how much spectrum we've 'handed out,' for cell phones, 3G and in the future 4G-more and more the thirst for spectrum seems to be unquenchable," noted Karl Nebbia, associate administrator, National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

The consumer clamor for new commercial products is not the only growth area that creates challenges for spectrum managers. The number of new military devices delivered to the battlespace also creates a burden as managers must fit them into already-crowded frequency bands and do their best to ensure that one device does not interfere with the operation of another. This situation is aggravated when procedures to ensure that new technologies operate in available spectrum are circumvented.

Discussions about policy, processes and the realities in the field cropped up over and over again during the conference with little dissension from either military leaders or e-boots on the ground about the problems. Attendees agreed that current policies are not sufficient for today's situations and that changes, while promised, have been slow in coming.

Vice Adm. Nancy Brown, USN, director of command, control, communications and computer systems, J-6, the Joint Staff, pointed out that the Defense Department's spectrum management directive of June 2004, DOD 4650.1, recognized the importance of spectrum management and outlined responsibilities when it was published; however, the leadership and services have not been living this policy. For example, while the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) has been a model program in following the spectrum supportability process, the spectrum management policy does not include host-nation coordination processes; some projects within MUOS have taken advantage of this loophole. "We must tighten up our policy so this doesn't happen," Adm. Brown stated.

Citing an example that drove home the potential consequences of spectrum supportability problems, Adm. Brown shared information about a situation taking place currently in Iraq. When warfighters arrive at one secured location, they must get out of their vehicles to identify themselves because their radios cannot communicate with those used by the guards due to spectrum issues. This leaves troops out in the open and ripe for terrorist snipers, she related.

While military leaders reiterated the need to agree on policy and processes, many spectrum managers in attendance who must solve problems daily-sometimes while literally under fire-said that what is really needed is enforcement of current policy. Waivers to the "Application for Equipment Frequency Allocation," or DD 1494, expedite product fielding but cause problems downrange. This practice has become increasingly pervasive as deployment demands grow, they noted.

On this issue, Adm. Brown stated that Counter Remote Control Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare, or CREW, devices are "here to stay" but that a dynamic 1494 process to facilitate fielding has been agreed upon and is being put into place.

Dr. Ronald C. Jost, deputy assistant secretary of defense for command, control, communications, space and spectrum, advised that rapidly fielding new systems is leading to an even larger problem. "We concentrate on the radio and forget that the radio is part of a network," he proposed. The softwaredefined radio is not about spectrum; it is about converging networks. In the dramatically changing environment of mobile communications, spectrum management must be highly dynamic, simple and able to be carried out as well as network management, Jost stated.