Bill > HR2520

This bill, the Spectrum for Innovation Act of 2011, directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to update its rules to permit unlicensed devices, specifically Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) devices, to operate in certain parts of the radio frequency spectrum, namely between 5350-5470 megahertz and 5850-5925 megahertz. This change is contingent on two key conditions: first, that existing licensed users of these frequencies will be protected through technical measures, such as dynamic frequency selection, which allows devices to automatically avoid occupied frequencies, and second, that the primary duties of federal spectrum users in these bands will not be negatively impacted by the introduction of these new unlicensed devices. Additionally, the bill requires the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to conduct and submit a study to Congress and the FCC evaluating spectrum-sharing technologies and the potential risks to federal users if these unlicensed devices are allowed to operate in these specific frequency bands.