Proven coordination tools could bring spectrum online faster, at lower cost, and for a broader range of innovators

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 17, 2026

Contact: [email protected] 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As AI, robotics, and advanced manufacturing drive demand for wireless connectivity, policymakers have a rare opportunity to unlock one of America’s most valuable remaining mid-band spectrum resources.

A new analysis from Valo Analytica finds spectrum sharing could put more of the 4.4 GHz band to commercial use sooner and at lower cost, while preserving critical federal operations.

The finding comes as NTIA prepares to study the 4400–4940 MHz band. Congress explicitly included shared federal and non-federal use among the options NTIA should consider as it identifies spectrum for commercial use. The White House has separately directed NTIA to study whether portions of the 4.4 GHz band can be reallocated from federal use to full-power commercial licensed use.

That makes 4.4 GHz both a major spectrum opportunity and a difficult policy challenge. It is one of the most heavily utilized federal bands ever considered for repurposing, supporting military communications, drone systems, wildfire monitoring, border security, nuclear emergency response, and other critical missions. A traditional high-power exclusive approach could require relocating or reconfiguring those systems, while sharing offers a path to add commercial use around them.

“4.4 GHz is a rare opportunity to build a spectrum framework for where the American economy is going,” said Andrew Clegg, Chief Technology Officer at Valo Analytica. “AI, robotics, and advanced manufacturing are going to require enormous amounts of reliable wireless connectivity. Our analysis shows we can unlock that capacity using sharing tools that already work at scale — bringing more spectrum into use sooner while protecting the federal missions that depend on it.”

Shared spectrum could support the private networks behind AI-enabled robotics, smart factories, automated logistics, and energy systems — giving manufacturers, ports, utilities, and other enterprises access to dedicated wireless connectivity.

The report finds the benefits could be significant. Compared with clearing federal users, sharing could bring spectrum online sooner, avoid relocation costs that could reach tens of billions of dollars, and make more bandwidth available where demand is greatest.

And much of the technology needed to make it happen is already operating at scale:

• The band’s largest federal use is highly shareable. The 6 GHz band already coordinates commercial use around more than 70,000 fixed links — roughly 20 times the estimated number in 4.4 GHz.
• Military systems can be protected at commercial scale. More than 440,000 CBRS base stations operate today without harmful interference to incumbent military radars.
• Sensitive federal information can remain protected. Existing coordination models can determine spectrum availability without revealing the locations or technical details of federal systems.

The fiscal case also looks different when measured on net rather than gross auction revenue. Relocation costs must be covered by auction proceeds, and federal law generally requires eligible auctions to generate at least 110 percent of estimated relocation or sharing costs. Valo finds a shared, auctioned tier could carry little comparable clearing cost, generate revenue sooner, and cause little to no disruption to federal operations — potentially making the net return even greater than a cleared exclusive auction.

“Congress put sharing on the table, and this analysis shows why it belongs at the center of the 4.4 GHz study,” said Dave Wright, Policy Director for the Spectrum for the Future Coalition. “We have a rare opportunity to put more spectrum to work for American innovation while protecting critical federal missions. NTIA should fully examine that opportunity before deciding how this band is ultimately configured.”

Valo’s analysis of the available information for the band shows that existing sharing mechanisms such as Automated Frequency Coordination, Dynamic Protection Areas, and other coordination tools could unlock greater commercial access sooner and at lower cost, while preserving incumbent federal operations. The specifics of a sharing regime would be further refined based on the results of the NTIA studies.

Its conclusion: as NTIA begins its study, sharing should be evaluated as a core strategy for maximizing the 4.4 GHz band — not an afterthought. The report does not foreclose exclusive licensing and notes that a combination of shared and exclusive access may ultimately best serve national objectives.

Read the full analysis: https://valoanalytica.ai/blog/f/sharing-the-4-ghz-band-american-leadership-in-spectrum-access

View the one-pager: https://spectrumfuture.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/SFTF-4-4-GHz-One-Pager-9.16.26.pdf

See CBRS in action: https://spectrumfuture.com/spectrum-sharing-in-action/