Spectrum Policy Podcast

With the new Digital Networks Act and progress being made towards 6G and satellite services, what does the future hold for spectrum auctions? In this podcast, Richard Marsden, Managing Director at NERA Economic Consulting, speaks to PolicyTracker journalist Camilla Mina about what auctions will look like in a few years. Since 1999, Marsden has worked on advising buyers or sellers on format designs and bid strategy in more than a 100 auctions in 30 different countries. More on the subject is available through our ⁠spectrum research service.

Direct-to-device (D2D) is the hot topic in the world of satellite regulation today. In areas without terrestrial coverage, a handset could connect to a Leo satellite directly to send messages and make calls - with companies such as Starlink and Amazon Leo launching hundreds of satellites to develop this service. PolicyTracker Journalist Cameron Hill speaks to European Commission Spectrum Manager, Dominic Hayes, about the EU's counter-proposal: Iris². Promising a secure and sovereign network for governmental services facilitated through satellite - can Iris² be an alternative for Europe? More on the subject is available through our spectrum research service.

The EU Parliament and Council are currently discussing the Commission's Digital Network Act. It's a proposal for some significant changes to the European telco market and its spectrum governance. PolicyTracker's news editor, Laura Sear, speaks to Amit Nagpal, partner at Aetha Consulting, about the draft act. They discuss the details and possible impact of some key proposals, including perpetual licences, a Commission-led auction scrutiny board, EU-wide satellite licences, and the overhaul of spectrum policy advisory bodies. More on the subject in our EU Spectrum Policy Dossier .

PolicyTracker journalists Cameron Hill and Laura Sear discuss the three most pressing and controversial issues in the long run-up to WRC-27. They tackle unauthorised satellite transmissions, new IMT bands and the topic of MSS in IMT bands - as well as introducing WRC-27 and explaining its processes.

PolicyTracker journalist Camilla Mina speaks to Logan Scott, independent consultant and expert in Position, Navigation and Timing about GNSS interferences and its current challenges. They discuss jamming and spoofing but also interferences from other services and ways to mitigate them.

PolicyTracker journalist Richard Haas speaks to Cameron Hill, the lead author of a new white paper by SignalTracker which considers how the performance of MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) differs from their parent networks. They explore the performance differences between MVNOs and their parent networks, uncovering insights into download speeds, reliability, and the value proposition for consumers.

The "Big Beautiful Bill", which sets out the budget for the US government and various other policies, was signed into law on July 4th. It mandates the FCC to auction 800 MHz of spectrum and has sparked concerns within the Wi-Fi industry due to the lack of explicit protections for Wi-Fi. PolicyTracker Journalist Richard Haas speaks to Wi-Fi Alliance CEO Kevin Robinson about its impact and potential risk to the Wi-Fi industry.

We speak to Raquel Renno Nunes, who's a Programme Officer for Human Rights' advocacy group Article 19, and has been monitoring ITU discussions.

PolicyTracker journalist Richard Haas speaks to 3GPP veteran Howard Benn about how the body works and how it intersects with spectrum policymaking. See more information about our upcoming training courses ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ .

PolicyTracker journalist Laura Sear talks to Guesseppe Gonzalez from Access Partnerships about 5G auctions and regulatory changes in Latin America. Download our new app SignalTracker

PolicyTracker journalist Richard Haas speaks to the 2025 BERC chair Robert Mourik about regulation, spectrum policy and the success of 5G in Europe. ⁠Download our new app SignalTracker

As Donald Trump begins his second term in office, PolicyTracker journalist Richard Haas speaks to Harold Feld, Senior Vice President at Public Knowledge about Trump's spectrum policy priorities. News: New FCC and Congress mull spectrum auctions Download our new app SignalTracker

Professor Cramton discusses how auctions approaches pioneered in the US electricity sector can help MVNOs in Thailand .

In this episode of the podcast, Journalist Richard Haas speaks to renowned academic Marja Matinmikko-Blue about the future of 6G spectrum policy in Europe. We discuss a new report published by the Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) titled “6G strategic vision,” and discuss the research priorities currently being pursued in Europe as 6G approaches. Draft RSPG Report: 6G Strategic Vision

What have been this year's important spectrum policy stories? In this podcast our experts nominate their top five. We'd like to get your vote as well! Please take part in our online poll.

In this episode, PolicyTracker delves into the subject of rail connectivity with two industry experts. LS Telcom UK's Director Spectrum Services and Business Development Saul Friedner and Finnish ICT industry association FiCom’s Managing Director Elina Ussa cover practical challenges of providing coverage for customers and rail operations.

In this episode, PolicyTracker journalist Richard Haas speaks to William Webb about his new book 'The 6G Manifesto'. They discuss how 6G is taking shape, and what implications it may have on spectrum policy. ⁠Amazon: The 6G Manifesto – Prof William Webb

In the past few years, the United States has been at the forefront of new, innovative spectrum access systems. This includes CBRS (Citizen Broadband Radio Service) in the C-band and AFC (Automated Frequency Coordination) in 6 GHz. In this episode of the podcast, we speak to Amit Nagpal of Aetha Consulting, who argues that Europe should embrace these technologies to avoid being left behind. Aetha: Why Europe needs to embrace dynamic spectrum assignment

In this episode, we talk to Nada Abdelhafez, the Head of Spectrum & Regulatory Affairs for Middle East and Africa at Shure, about the future of Programme Making & Special Events (PMSE) spectrum. We discuss what was decided at WRC-23 for PMSE spectrum, future bands that could be available for audio, production and events and the coexistence and possibilities between PMSE and DECT. CEPT draft revision of ERC Recommendation 25-10 on frequency use of PMSE applications PMSE usage increases as WRC-23 prepares to review UHF in Region 1 DECT NR+ seeks access to 3.8—4.2 GHz in Europe

Since the first spectrum auction took place in 1989 in New Zealand, there have been many changes to the auction format. Yet one fundamental idea hasn’t changed: The bidder who offers up the most cash wins. In the latest episode of the PolicyTracker Spectrum podcast, we speak to Yasmine Frizlen an Economic Analyst at NERA in the Spectrum Department about a new auction format which challenges this key assumption. Called cashless auctions, these are awards where cash is not the primary focus, and instead, there is more emphasis on things like investment commitments and promises of coverage rollouts. NERA Book: Round-by-Round: Learnings from the First 35 Years of Spectrum Auctions PolicyTracker Research note (SRS subscribers): What are cashless spectrum auctions? PolicyTracker Spectrum 101 (free): Spectrum auctions