-38 management has not kept pace with the increased demand and economic and technical complexities associated with expanded use of the spectrum. .". OTP shares this concern and in 1974 initiated a joint OTP-Civil Service Commission effort to develop a program to improve the frequency management personnel situation. The fact that the U.S. Government has over $60 billion invested to date in spectrum-dependent equipments dictates the importance of and need for sufficient effective personnel resources to manage the use of the spectrum. C. Electromagnetic Compatibility Analysis In late 1972 OTP developed and promulgated a set of management procedures (OTP Circular 11) which requires all Government agencies to submit their frequency plans well in advance of procuring equipment. The objective of Circulai 1 is to assure spectrum availability for telecommunication systems prior to the commitment of public funds. (The Federal Government spends approximately $10 billion per year for communication-electronic items.) During 1973, Federal agencies gained considerable experience in the application of this new management pro-, cedure and the benefits of the program became apparent during 1974. In June 1974 OMB Circular A-ll, which provides guidance to Federal budget planners, was modified so that consultation with the Office of Telecommunications Policy is required when (budgetary) estimates involve development or procurement of major communication-electronic systems." Over the course of the past three years, OTP has reviewed 37 proposals for various types of communication-electronic systems which are dependent upon use of the spectrum. One example of how this new review process has been put to use is the Government's present and planned use of the 7/8 GHz portion of the radio spectrum, an investment estimated at about $350 million, with a potential additional investment over the next five years of $500 million. This portion of the spectrum is currently utilized extensively for transportable and microwave systems for the military, for FAA, and for other Government agencies. It is also being employed by the Department of Defense for the Defense Satellite Communication System, and in the future, DOD use -39 of this frequency band will be expanded considerably. Meteorological satellites of the Department of Commerce and earth resource satellites of the Department of Interior/ NASA also are planned at 7/8 GHz. Under OTP guidance, detailed engineering analyses of this area were initiated in 1973 and were completed in 1974 by the Department of Commerce,Office of Telecommunications. The analyses indicated that unless extreme care was taken in the design and development of future systems and in the engineering of frequency assignments for current and proposed devices, harmful interference with consequent unsatisfactory results would be experienced, as well as possible loss of investment and even loss of life and property. As a result of the studies, OTP forwarded to the appropriate Federal agencies guidelines for electromagnetic compatibility which were tailored to assist the agencies with their particular problems. Since In its initial application of its systems review procedure, OTP has given priority to the study of the electromagnetic compatibility of satellite and earth stations to each other and to other earth stations. space systems are worldwide and once launched cannot be modified to eliminate interference, frequency engineering must be accurate and thorough before launch. D. Side Effects Program In response to apprehension and some evidence about the hazards of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiations (i.c., radio transmissions) to man in particular and to the environment in general, OTP continues to oversee the five-year "Program Assessment of Biological Hazards of Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic Radiation," an effort commenced in late 1973. In this program, OTP coordinates a multi-agency effort involving surveillance, testing, and research to determine the potential hazards to man and his environment from these radiations. It examines the potential biological impact of non-ionizing radiations and will investigate possible nonbiological side effects of electromagnetic energy, e.g., the effects on electronic systems, devices, components, and materials. -40 To date, OTP has placed primary emphasis on the development of procedures to assure coordination among agencies in their research. At the same time, OTP initiated on-going efforts to analyze agency programs which deal with specific biological areas in order to identify shortcomings and to develop guidelines for priorities and for future direction. As a continuation of these efforts, OTP participated during 1974 in collaborative activities (including visits to selected Soviet laboratories) with the USSR and the US/USSR Health Cooperation Program. re The Second annual OTP report on the environmental effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation was leased in May 1974. A third report will be issued in early 1975. Three advisory organizations assist OTP in conducting spectrum management activities: 1. 2. Interdependent Radio Advisory Committee Frequency Management Advisory Council comprised of recognized authorities from industry, universities, and research organizations. The Council met five times in FY 1974 to review Government spectrumrelated activities and to provide recommendations to OTP. -41 3. Electromagnetic Radiation Management GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING PROGRAM Mr. EGER. A major focus of our activity in the past year has been on the Federal Government's own use of communications systems and services. All Federal agencies utilize telecommunications to one degree or another, and the total Federal expenditure for telecommunications (communications, i.e., communications-electronics) is in the neighborhood of $10 billion per year. It is OTP's responsibility to provide policy direction and coordination for these activities, to minimize overlappng and inefficient systems, and to evaluate the ability of existing and planned systems to meet national security and emergency preparedness requirements. As a first step in meeting this responsibility we have established a Government communications planning program, initiated by OTP circular 12, whereby each department or agency is required to document its long-term communications planning and submit those plans for interagency coordination and review. We have now received and reviewed the first set of annual summary plans, which is basically an inventory of Federal communications utilization programs, and have offered guidance to the departments and agencies for their 1975 activities. This first phase of the planning program will provide the foundation for future long-term planning efforts. Within the framework of the planning program we recently completed an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of various system alterna tives in two important areas: radio navigation and emergency warning. With regard to the former, we are working to consolidate the Government's radio navigation program with the goal of reducing the number of systems that are operational or under development. This involves for example, radio navigation systems for the coastal confluence, high seas, rivers, and harbors. As to emergency warning, we have designated a single, cost-effective system as the means of communicating attack or disaster warnings to the general public in their homes. Another initiative we have undertaken with regard to the Government's use of communications is the establishment of a formal policy of increased reliance on the private sector for communications system design, engineering, operation, and maintenance, In the absence of such a policy, agencies had been free to "piece together" their own customized communications systems, often at great cost, even if adequate service were commercially available. Under our new policy, issued as OTP circular 13, agencies are encouraged to procure communications services from commercial sources except when commercial service is unavailable, technically or operationally inadequate, or significantly more costly. SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT In addition to overall coordination of Government communications activities, OTP is vested with the authority for the management and assignment of radio frequencies used by the U.S. Government. As you know, demands on the spectrum-a limited natural resource-have increased dramatically in recent years, thereby giving rise to a need for more enlightened planning for future use. In order to ease the spectrum shortage problem and to assure frequency availability for telecommunications systems prior to the commitment of public funds, OTP instituted procedures in 1972 requiring all Government agencies to submit their frequency plans well in advance of procuring equipment. The benefits of this program are becoming increasingly apparent, particularly regarding electromagnetic compatibility, system interoperability, and the prevention of harmful interference among various systems. Last year alone we processed over 55,000 frequency requests. I might say, Mr. Chairman, this is getting to be an ever-increasing problem, because with each frequency request now, because of the lack of channels and interference problems, it requires much more time to evaluate whether a shift in frequency or another frequency is going to interfere with so many others that are already there. We are literally running out of spaces in the garage, if you will, in which to park our cars, and will have to develop some new allocation priorities and will certainly have to encourage the exploration of the higher, less crowded end of the spectrum. Mr. STEED. In what part of the Government is most of this proliferation centered? Mr. EGER. I think a great deal of congestion is in the area of 100 and 12,000 megahertz. There is a growing need for land mobile frequencies because we are becoming a Nation on the move. In that area particularly there is heavy congestion. Mr. STEED. Who are the major users? |