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.
Soft law was never meant to be a permanent solution. Treating it as one, and letting the sandcastle stand in for the skyscraper indefinitely, is how we end up with a decade of voluntary commitments and no enforceable accountability to show for it.
Jobseekers, employees at smaller organizations, and local public workers need more than a weekend crash course in AI. They need practice choosing useful tasks, protecting data, testing outputs, and explaining where human judgment remains necessary.
“What excites me is that it’s very tempting to be very discouraged, and say, ‘Oh, we’ve got these archaic institutions that are calcified and you could never change them.’ But I think we’re in the middle of a technological revolution that will upend lots of things, and does provide a window.”
As Congress considers broader packages to advance critical minerals production and supply chain resilience, science diplomacy vehicles must be part of that conversation, not as an afterthought, but as an intentional and foundational pillar of any strategy.