The National Spectrum Consortium has launched a new industry group to explore the use of mid-band spectrum available for commercial 5G with the Defense Department.
The Partnering to Advance Trusted and Holistic Spectrum Solutions (PATHSS) task group “will provide a forum for industry and the Defense Department to exchange sensitive and classified information on current and projected military and commercial requirements in these bands,” according to an Oct. 27 National Spectrum Consortium press release. “Together, the group will identify and develop use cases based on a shared understanding of federal and commercial needs.”
Specifically, PATHSS will work on the commercial use of mid-band spectrum within the 3.1 to 3.45 GHz range.
Liz Paul, National Spectrum Consortium Chair, said in a statement PATHSS will “ensure that future spectrum decisions will result in realistic, collaborative spectrum-sharing implementations.”
The Pentagon has used the NSC as a focal point for its 5G experimentation plans, awarding most of its initial contracts for 5G prototyping work through the consortium. The NSC last year also established three working groups focused on spectrum superiority, 5G and regulations.