Good Neighbors: How and When to Share Spectrum

The increased demand for constant wireless connectivity generates a corresponding demand for access to the radio frequency (RF) spectrum. This demand presents a challenge in that there is very little unoccupied RF spectrum for new wireless technologies — much of it is already spoken for by existing systems that are providing vital services, such as air traffic control, weather forecasting, GPS, remote news feeds, broadcasting, and national defense. The solution? Spectrum sharing, which is defined as “any approach enabling multiple systems to use the same RF spectrum.” What are the specific challenges to achieving spectrum sharing, and how can they be overcome?

Author: Matthew Clark