Is Your Spectrum Monitoring Tool Prepared For Modern Communication Technologies?

Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum is one of the most sought-after resources in the world. In the U.S., public spectrum auctions by the government generate billions of dollars for the right to utilize spectrum bands. The AWS-3 auction in January 2015 was the most successful auction to date, raising nearly $45 billion for 65 MHz of spectrum to be used for commercial wireless. This was a milestone in the Obama administration’s goal of making 500 MHz of spectrum available for wireless broadband by 2020. Worldwide, spectrum auctions show a similar fervor. A fervor Berkeley Nucleonics continues to foster.

With new applications, technologies, and standards being developed and deployed, there is increasing value placed on monitoring the wireless spectrum by both public and private stakeholders. Those who own the rights to a portion of the spectrum actively attempt to protect and maximize the utility of their investment, while regulators strive to promote efficient use and minimize interference among users. What was once an engineering technician’s duty has now very often become the dedicated responsibility of a multifunctional team.