Airwaves of Power: Why the Pentagon Should Shift to a Commercial-First Spectrum Model

Key Takeaways

• Pentagon controls 93% of mid‑band spectrum, commercial users only 3%
• FCC auction of 100 MHz AWS‑3 band slated for June 2024
• Only 125 MHz of DoD mid‑band has been transitioned to commercial use
• China’s centralized spectrum policy accelerates 5G rollout, giving strategic edge
• Commercial‑first model lets Pentagon leverage $1 trillion R&D and secure network slices

Pulse Analysis

The United States faces a stark imbalance in spectrum ownership: federal agencies, led by the Department of Defense, command roughly 95% of all U.S. frequencies and 93% of the coveted mid‑band below 3.1 GHz. This dominance stems from policy decisions made a century ago, not from a modern assessment of military necessity. As the FCC prepares to auction 100 MHz of AWS‑3 spectrum this June and plans a larger upper C‑band sale by 2027, the Pentagon is offered voluntary relocation studies funded at 110% of costs. Yet only 125 MHz of DoD‑held mid‑band has been released so far, leaving the commercial sector with a mere 3% exclusive slice and limiting the rollout of high‑capacity 5G services that underpin both consumer demand and emerging defense applications.

China illustrates a contrasting approach. Its Ministry of Industry and Information Technology centrally allocates spectrum, aligning allocations with national industrial policy and civil‑military fusion. By concentrating 2.6 GHz, 3.3‑3.6 GHz and 4.8‑5.0 GHz bands for commercial 5G, Beijing has accelerated network deployment and created a global ecosystem of Chinese‑made equipment. This speed advantage translates into strategic leverage, as allied nations adopt Chinese standards and hardware, potentially exposing them to supply‑chain vulnerabilities. In the United States, the fragmented governance among Congress, the FCC, NTIA, and the Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee slows decision‑making and hampers the ability to match Asian competitors in spectrum efficiency and innovation.

A commercial‑first defense model would turn these challenges into opportunities. By treating commercial wireless as the baseline, the Pentagon could purchase secure network slices, hardened devices, and priority‑access guarantees, effectively becoming an anchor customer that shapes standards and drives resilience. This strategy leverages the roughly $1 trillion the U.S. economy spends annually on research and development, allowing the military to field capabilities faster than adversaries while preserving exclusive bands for truly mission‑critical radar and EW functions. Aligning spectrum policy with market dynamics not only reduces costs but also ensures that U.S. forces benefit from the same rapid iteration cycles that fuel the $825 billion mobile‑wireless sector, safeguarding both national security and economic competitiveness.