The Department of Defense is exploring the use of dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) to allow enterprises to tap into its trove of spectrum for private or commercial use.

The licensed spectrum holdings allotted to the Pentagon for critical radar and other military communications would, under the proposal, be shared for 5G services among military and civilian users. A formal request for information by the Defense Information Systems Agency calls for “alternative approaches to enable DSS within the department’s currently allocated spectrum with the goal of accelerating spectrum sharing decisions and 5G deployment.”

DSS plays a starring role in 5G, particularly among operators that don’t have access to unfettered spectrum to deploy 5G at scale. The technology allows service providers to automatically provision and manage the use of spectrum for disjointed networks and capabilities, based on real-time traffic and service performance requirements.

Dense nationwide 5G for some domestic operators like Verizon and AT&T wouldn’t be possible in the near term without DSS because most spectrum, particularly low- and mid-band spectrum, is already allocated to legacy networks.

Many technology juggernauts based in the U.S. don’t own licensed spectrum independently, but the Pentagon’s move could open a new realm for the exploration of shared spectrum owned by the government. However, it’s unclear if the proposal will gain much interest from consumer- and enterprise-centric offerings as much as it could trigger new opportunities for defense contractors.

Within days of its release, the Defense Department’s proposal already attracted interest from defense contractors, according to The Wall Street Journal. Moreover, while wireless industry trade associations and network operators constantly lobby elected officials and regulators to unlock more spectrum, this path isn’t exactly what they have in mind. 

Operators want the government to auction spectrum for private use and are less likely to pursue the use of spectrum specifically allocated to military use. Indeed, the Pentagon’s primary purpose is made clear up front in its proposal, indicating that “the intent is to ensure the greatest effective and efficient use of the Department of Defense’s spectrum for training, readiness, and lethality.”

The Pentagon appears to be, at least in concept, open to all manner of frameworks and management platforms that would allow its spectrum to be used for 5G deployment. It issued more than a dozen questions, seeking outside perspectives into the viability and challenges of DSS, potential national security issues, regulatory or policy hurdles, and other barriers that could challenge multi-party use of its spectrum. 

The Trump administration has floated and backed away from various plans that would augment how consumers and enterprises gain access to licensed spectrum. President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign in early 2019 pushed a plan that called for the Defense Department to forfeit some of its spectrum so a third-party operator could make 5G services available on a wholesale basis to wireless providers, but it’s since abandoned that idea. 

The administration walked back from a similar proposal in 2018 after it received quick and unifying backlash from the wireless industry, lawmakers from both political parties, and all commissioners at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Organizations must respond to the Pentagon’s request for information by Oct. 19.