The Defense Department is proposing to make some of the spectrum it currently holds available for commercial use, marking some progress between the Pentagon and carriers and lawmakers who want more frequencies available.
The DoD made a proposal to telecommunications carriers to free up 420 MHz of electromagnetic spectrum for commercial use, according to a DoD document obtained by Punchbowl News. The offer, dated March 25, mostly entails 100 MHz between the 3.55 GHz to 3.65 GHz frequencies and 125 MHz between 7.125 GHz and 7.25 GHz.
Those are critical frequencies to boost 5G service in the U.S. and have been coveted by carriers and many congressional Republicans. And while it likely still isn’t sufficient for many in the GOP and the telecom industry, this marks the first significant step in negotiations over spectrum with the Pentagon.
