Spectrum:
How it Influences
the FAA
Congressional Breakfast
March 2016
Ian Atkins
Director
FAA Spectrum Engineering
and Policy
Federal Aviation
Administration
Forward Looking Statement
•
The comments and actions covered in this briefing look forward
beyond current FAA day to day operations
•
UAS and Radar activities discussed are at the formative stages
Ian Atkins FAA Spectrum Engineering March 2016
Federal Aviation
Administration
2
FAA Operates a Safety Culture
•
Safety focused organization
•
Historical response to spectrum change was to defend
•
Historically, FAA program offices were not tuned into spectrum impact
•
A radar project had no Spectrum requirement
•
“We already have all the spectrum we need”
•
Challenge for FAA Spectrum is to maintain safety, maintain operation
AND embrace change
•
This requires FAA to think proactively
Ian Atkins FAA Spectrum Engineering March 2016
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Pressure on Aviation Spectrum
New aviation applications
Unmanned Aircraft
Commercial expansion
limited by available
spectrum
FAA approach to Spectrum Management
Ian Atkins FAA Spectrum Engineering March 2016
Federal Aviation
Administration
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New Aviation Applications
•
•
•
Unmanned Aircraft Systems Command and Control
•
Work to reserve Spectrum began more than ten years ago
•
FAA heavily involved at the International level
Will there be Spectrum Congestion?
•
C&C method chosen will minimize bandwidth and maximize
capacity
•
Large current demand has to be managed to protect National and
International future
Who will build the infrastructure?
•
Application leads itself to infrastructure sharing
•
4G type signals found suitable (NASA and others)
•
Exploratory discussions with wireless providers ongoing
Ian Atkins FAA Spectrum Engineering March 2016
Federal Aviation
Administration
5
Commercial Expansion
Freeing Spectrum
•
Multiple approaches from industry looking at FAA “prime”
spectrum
•
Realization in FAA of the commercial value of spectrum operated
•
•
Defense of spectrum was not going to address commercial approaches
•
As a large user of spectrum FAA needed to address Executive Orders to
“find” spectrum proactively
What action to take and where to start?
•
Spectrum sharing had proven troublesome
•
FAA systems were driven by budget and spectrum “efficiency” drives up cost
•
Top down focus on the big spectrum user: radar
•
The value of spectrum released could fund the equipment required
Ian Atkins FAA Spectrum Engineering March 2016
Federal Aviation
Administration
6
Commercial Expansion
Freeing Radar Spectrum
•
Can we combine radar functionality into one platform?
•
Initial assessment of available technology
•
Idea socialized across agencies
•
Guarded positive response from many agencies
•
Established a MOA between agencies to explore
•
FAA has established an exploratory program office in parallel to existing
Radar replacement planning
•
FAA thinking is changing and other systems will be examined to move
toward required spectrum use
Ian Atkins FAA Spectrum Engineering March 2016
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Thank You
Ian Atkins FAA Spectrum Engineering March 2016
Federal Aviation
Administration
8