Spectrum management
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The spectrum is a conceptual tool used to organize and map the physical phenomena of electromagnetic waves. These waves propagate through space at different frequencies, and the set of all possible frequencies is called the electromagnetic spectrum. The term radio spectrum typically refers to the full frequency range from 3 kHz to 300 GHz that may be used for wireless communication. By contrast, radio waves are sometimes defined to be only those electromagnetic waves with frequencies between 30 kHz to 3 GHz (LF to UHF). Thus the full "radio" spectrum includes ELF waves and microwaves in particular.
Spectrum management is defined as all activities associated with fixing the use of the radio spectrum including the enforcement of such rules as may be applicable.
[edit] Spectrum management in the United States
Under US law, the spectrum is not considered to be the property of the private sector nor of the government except insofar as the term "government" is used to be synonymous with "the people".
The original use of the term "the commons" was the practice by which the public at large had a limited access to a bundle of rights regarding use of the commons; each person then had an interest in his own usage rights but the commons themselves were not property, nor were the rights "property" since they could not be traded. The term "tragedy of the commons" was popularized by Garrett Hardin in a 1968 article which appeared in "Science Magazine". The tragedy of the commons illustrates the philosophy that destructive use of public reservations ("the commons") by private interests can result when the best strategy for individuals conflicts with the "common good". In such a scenario, it asserts that even though the contribution of each "bad actor" may be minute, if summed over all bad actors the resource could be degraded to the point of uselessness. This concern has led to the regulation of the spectrum.
The Communications Act of 1934 grants coequal authority for spectrum management to the president for all federal use (47 USC 305) and the Federal Communications Commission for all domestic non-federal use (47 USC 301).
Background:
- Radio Act of 1927
- Communications Act of 1934
- Administrative Procedures Act of 1947
- Satellite Act of 1962
- National Telecommunications and Information Administration – 1978
- Negotiated Rulemaking Act of 1990
- Cable TV Consumer Protection & Competition Act of 1992
- Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993
- Telecommunications Act of 1996
[edit] International spectrum management
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is the part of the United Nations (UN) that manages the use of both the RF Spectrum and space satellites among nation states.
The National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) manages the spectrum for the Federal Government. Its rules are found in the "Manual of Regulations & Procedures for Federal Radio Frequency Management".
