Modernizing Radio Spectrum Management
Summary
The Biden-Harris Administration should pursue a set of policies aimed at maximizing productive use of the radio spectrum, a key public good that can be used to create economic and social value. These policies should include adjustments to the institutions that manage the nation’s spectrum; a redefinition of spectrum rights and responsibilities enjoyed by companies that use the spectrum; and options for using the economic value created by spectrum auctions to address persistent public problems.
Nestled in the cuts and investments of interest to the S&T community is a more complex story of how the administration is approaching the practice of science diplomacy.
By structuring licensing-and-talent deals that replicate mergers while avoiding antitrust scrutiny, dominant technology firms are reshaping AI labor markets, venture financing, and the future of U.S. innovation.
It is in the interests of the United States to appropriately protect information that needs to be protected while maintaining our participation in new discoveries to maintain our competitive advantage.
Our analysis of federal AI governance across administrations shows that divergent compliance procedures and uneven institutional capacity challenge the government’s ability to deploy AI in ways that uphold public trust.