Spectrum management policy in the United States, an historical account

The report recounts the early history of spectrum management by federal regulation culminating in the Radio Act of 1927 which, with little change, became Title III of the Communications Act of 1934. Using the land mobile radio services as a case study, the results of spectrum management by regulation are reviewed. It was found that long delay in arriving at management decisions, especially in the matter of spectrum allocation, has been a prominent feature of regulation. This delay has been due primarily to the inability of the regulatory process to acquire the necessary information on which to base decisions with the public interest as the sole criterion. This delay has resulted in social costs in the form of foregone spectrum use. The report concludes that the deficiencies cited are inherent in regulated spectrum management and that they will persist unless market forces are permitted significantly to influence spectrum management decisions.