Enforcement and spectrum sharing: A case study of the 1695–1710 MHz band

Spectrum sharing is a new reality for spectrum users. Implementing sharing regimes on a non-opportunistic basis means that sharing agreements must be implemented. To have meaning, those agreements must be enforceable. We make this discussion more concrete by reasoning about enforcement in a particular spectrum band (1695-1710 MHz) that is currently being proposed for sharing between commercial services (LTE) and an incumbent spectrum user in the US. We examine three enforcement approaches, exclusion zones, protection zones and pure ex post and consider their implications in terms of cost elements, opportunity cost, and their adaptability.