Principles of Flexible-Use Spectrum Rights

A serious problem with traditional 'command & control' spectrum management techniques is that they do not easily accommodate new technologies and new services. This paper describes the necessary principles of flexible-use spectrum rights which may allow a wide variety of spectrum uses in a single general-purpose band. Based on the electrospace description of the radio spectrum, these principles allow general aggregation or division of licensed electrospace regions via secondary markets, providing rules for how regulatory limits change under aggregation or division. These flexible-use principles limit transmitter behaviors that tend to create a more difficult operating environment for receivers, while making receivers responsible for handling any remaining interference. The author shows how flexible-use principles could provide a basis for real-world flexible-use frequency bands.