The Federal Communications Commission issued a Notice of Inquiry into radio spectrum usage in non-federal sectors.
The agency announced Thursday that the investigation will help deepen its understanding of the benefits, limitations and feasibility of spectrum utilization and management as commercial spectrum bands increasingly become congested.
FCC normally uses third parties to collect spectrum usage data. The new inquiry will gather insights from industry, government, academia and international entities with expertise in spectrum research.
The notice is inviting feedback on best practices and technical parameters relevant to the study of spectrum usage. FCC is also interested in learning about band-specific, service-specific and operational considerations surrounding the technology.
“I believe we can do more to increase our understanding of spectrum utilization and support the development of AI tools in wireless networks. That is what today’s inquiry is all about,” FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. “I look forward to the record that develops because I believe if we do this right, we can help turn spectrum scarcity into abundance.”