NSF SpectrumX invites you to the next Radio Shop Chat, “From Command and Control to Flexible Use: Bringing Satellite Regulations into the 21st Century,” featuring David Goldman, Vice President of Satellite Policy, SpaceX, on Wednesday, April 2 at 3 p.m. E.T.
Registration is required and free.
Abstract:
Terrestrial spectrum policy went through an evolution thirty years ago as regulators around the world learned the follies of command-and-control regimes and the relative benefits of more flexible-use authorizations. The result of this evolution in regulation was a revolution in technical advances. Within a few years of these regulatory changes, spectrum license holders deployed massive wireless networks to serve population centers around the globe. These waves of technological innovation on the ground are only now cresting, just as a new revolution is taking place in space to connect those still left unserved. Satellite operators are deploying next-generation systems with the power to bring urban-quality broadband to the third of the world that has been left behind. Unfortunately, these deployments are being slowed because satellite policy has not had the same regulatory upgrades that enabled generations of wireless networks. Admittedly, satellites use spectrum very differently than terrestrial networks, and not all terrestrial policies are appropriate (e.g., auctioning shared spectrum for global networks is extremely challenging). But there is still an opportunity to break free of the decades-old command-and-control regimes and leverage what has been learned about the benefits of flexible-use licensing.
This talk will explore regulatory models such as light licensing, sunsetting incumbent protections, upgrading international spectrum harmonization, and standard rules to mitigate orbital debris that could be used to help drive innovation in satellite technology.
Bio:
David Goldman is the Vice President of Satellite Policy for SpaceX. Prior to joining SpaceX in 2018, he was the Chief Counsel for the Communication and Technology Subcommittee starting in January 2015. Before that, he served as the Senior Legal Advisor for FCC then-Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. He was the Commissioner’s chief advisor on wireless, international, and public safety issues, along with responsibility for other issues of policy, strategy, public relations, and office operations. David joined Commissioner Rosenworcel’s office from the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, where he served on detail as Counsel to the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet.
Prior to serving on Capitol Hill, David served in several positions at the FCC, including in the office of Chairman Genachowski and as a Policy Advisor to the Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. He joined the agency as an Honors Attorney, serving as Attorney Advisor in the Spectrum Competition and Policy Division of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. Before this, he served as Staff Law Clerk at the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago. He also worked as an associate at the law firm Hughes Hubbard & Reed in New York.
David received his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida.
The SpectrumX Radio Shop Chats are a collegial debate on the pressing issues and optimal model for managing spectrum, as a complex interplay among technology, economics, law, and policy. All Radio Shop Chats are held under the Chatham House Rule.