How is Scott Blake Harris’ NTIA efforts coming along?
Scott Blake Harris, formerly the Senior Spectrum Advisor and Director of the National Spectrum Strategy at the NTIA, played a pivotal role in shaping the U.S. government’s approach to spectrum management. His efforts culminated in the National Spectrum Strategy, which laid out a detailed plan to study nearly 2,800 MHz of federal spectrum for potential repurposing.
Here’s where things stand:
📡 National Spectrum Strategy Progress
- The NTIA, under Harris’s leadership, launched studies on key bands like lower 37 GHz, 7/8 GHz, and lower 3 GHz.
- The lower 37 GHz band was found suitable for shared use between government and commercial entities—a promising step for 5G and beyond.
- Studies on the more contested 7/8 GHz and lower 3 GHz bands are scheduled to conclude by October 2026.
🏛️ Policy and Legislative Landscape
- The NTIA’s strategy emphasizes interagency coordination, with defined roles and deadlines—unusual for federal plans and a testament to Harris’s legal and strategic rigor.
- However, the FCC’s auction authority lapsed in 2023, complicating the path to commercializing spectrum. There’s bipartisan momentum to restore it, with competing bills from Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell.
🧭 Post-NTIA: Crest Hill Advisors
Harris has since launched Crest Hill Advisors, a consultancy focused on spectrum, telecom, and energy policy. He remains an influential voice, urging continuity in spectrum planning regardless of political shifts.
If you’re tracking how this affects RF enforcement, 5G rollout, or even speculative tools like your “Signal Scythe,” I can help map those implications next.