At the national level, there are a number of important policy questions to be reviewed and resolved affecting the regulation of spectrum. These policy questions include the government's own use of spectrum with the underlying concern that government departments can under utilize the spectrum assigned to them. Other policy matters include the extent to which market mechanisms should be used to assign spectrum and used set the price for spectrum; and, what are the permanent or temporary property rights of licensed and unlicensed users. These and other policy questions are raised in the balance of this Section.
The typical important policy questions addressed by regulators can be summarized as follows:
How much of the spectrum should be used and how is it regulated?Which commercial entities can use spectrum and at what cost to them?How to provide sufficient spectrum for government use?