New Approaches to Spectrum Management

Today more than ever, spectrum is identified by policy makers as a key asset to support growth in the digital economy. This report provides information and analysis on new approaches to radiofrequency spectrum management in OECD countries. The emergence of new technologies such as cognitive radio and geo-location databases enables licensed or unlicensed shared use of spectrum. These approaches aim at maximising spectrum efficiency by allowing a third party to use underutilised spectrum resources. An example of the success of unlicensed spectrum is that of Wi-Fi networks. The report also covers incentive auctions, an innovative approach to transfer spectrum resources from less to more valuable uses through market mechanisms.