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Recommendations Database

GAO’s recommendations database contains report recommendations that still need to be addressed. GAO’s priority recommendations are those that we believe warrant priority attention. We sent letters to the heads of key departments and agencies, urging them to continue focusing on these issues. Below you can search only priority recommendations, or search all recommendations.

Our recommendations help congressional and agency leaders prepare for appropriations and oversight activities, as well as help improve government operations. Moreover, when implemented, some of our priority recommendations can save large amounts of money, help Congress make decisions on major issues, and substantially improve or transform major government programs or agencies, among other benefits.

As of October 25, 2020, there are 4812 open recommendations, of which 473 are priority recommendations. Recommendations remain open until they are designated as Closed-implemented or Closed-not implemented.

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Results:

Subject Term: "Spectrum management"

7 publications with a total of 14 open recommendations
Download these results in CSV format or XLSX format.
5G Deployment: FCC Needs Comprehensive Strategic Planning to Guide Its Efforts
GAO-20-468, Jun 12, 2020
Director: Andrew Von Ah
Phone: (202) 512-2834

2 open recommendations
Display
Recommendation: The Chairman of FCC should develop, in coordination with NTIA and other relevant stakeholders, specific and measurable performance goals—with related strategies and measures—to manage spectrum demands associated with 5G deployment. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Federal Communications Commission
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Chairman of FCC should develop specific and measurable performance goals—with related strategies and measures—to determine the effects 5G deployment and any mitigating actions may have on the digital divide. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Federal Communications Commission
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Public-Safety Broadband Network: Network Deployment Is Progressing, but FirstNet Could Strengthen Its Oversight
GAO-20-346, Jan 27, 2020
Director: Andrew Von Ah
Phone: (202) 512-2834

4 open recommendations
Display
Recommendation: FirstNet's Chief Executive Officer should take steps to ensure that the integrated master schedule for the program is developed and maintained in accordance with the best practices provided in GAO's Schedule Assessment Guide. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of Commerce: National Telecommunications and Information Administration: First Responder Network Authority
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: FirstNet's Chief Executive Officer should identify additional information about the program, including FirstNet's oversight and monitoring activities, that can be shared with public-safety stakeholders and periodically communicate and report this information to them. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Department of Commerce: National Telecommunications and Information Administration: First Responder Network Authority
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: FirstNet's Chief Executive Officer should share relevant portions of the accepted state-specific commitment reports with the states, as specified in the contract. (Recommendation 3)

Agency: Department of Commerce: National Telecommunications and Information Administration: First Responder Network Authority
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: FirstNet's Chief Executive Officer should, in consultation with public-safety stakeholders and its contractor, as appropriate, identify and obtain periodic information or meaningful indicators on end-users' satisfaction that would serve as a metric to gauge performance quality, including the effect of the FirstNet network and products on public-safety operations. (Recommendation 4)

Agency: Department of Commerce: National Telecommunications and Information Administration: First Responder Network Authority
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Unmanned Aircraft Systems: FAA Could Better Leverage Test Site Program to Advance Drone Integration
GAO-20-97, Jan 9, 2020
Director: Heather Krause
Phone: (202) 512-2834

1 open recommendations
Display
Recommendation: The Administrator of FAA should develop a plan for analyzing currently-collected UAS test site data to determine how they could be used to advance UAS integration, and whether the collection of any additional test site data, within the agency's authority to request, could be useful for informing integration. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of Transportation: Federal Aviation Administration: Office of the Administrator
Status: Open

Comments: DOT partially concurred with this recommendation. In DOT's official response dated March 2020, DOT officials indicated that FAA does not intend to collect any additional type of test site data, unless FAA funds new research or demonstrations. Further, officials noted that FAA has gathered data since the UAS test site program became operational in 2014, through several vehicles including details of flight tests entered into the Mission Logging System (MLS). Officials noted that FAA has and will continue to use data collected from the test sites to, among other things, better understand the challenges facing future UAS integration. We continue to believe that FAA implementing this recommendation would enable the agency to better leverage test site research and data to inform its decisions related to UAS integration. When we confirm what actions FAA has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Satellite Communications: DOD Should Develop a Plan for Implementing Its Recommendations on a Future Wideband Architecture
GAO-20-80, Dec 19, 2019
Director: Cristina T. Chaplain
Phone: (202) 512-4841

1 open recommendations
Display
Recommendation: The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment develop and implement a plan to guide and coordinate efforts to implement the Wideband AOA recommendations to support timely, informed decisions on its next wideband satellite communications architecture. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of Defense: Office of the Secretary of Defense
Status: Open

Comments: DOD concurred with our recommendation, but as of July 2020 is still working to implement its corrective action plan.
Emergency Communications: Required Auction of Public Safety Spectrum Could Harm First Responder Capabilities
GAO-19-508, Jun 21, 2019
Director: Mark Goldstein
Phone: (202) 512-2834

1 open recommendations
Display
Recommendation: Congress should consider legislation allowing public safety users continued use of the T-Band radio spectrum. (Matter for Consideration 1)

Agency: Congress
Status: Open

Comments: Awaiting Congressional action. When we confirm what action the Congress has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Tribal Broadband: FCC Should Undertake Efforts to Better Promote Tribal Access to Spectrum
GAO-19-75, Nov 14, 2018
Director: Mark Goldstein
Phone: (202) 512-2834

3 open recommendations
Display
Recommendation: The Chairman of FCC should collect data on the extent that tribal entities are obtaining and accessing spectrum and use this information as FCC implements ongoing spectrum initiatives. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Federal Communications Commission
Status: Open

Comments: As of July 2020, FCC said it will consider ways to collect data on the extent that tribal entities are obtaining and accessing spectrum, including updating application forms to provide for voluntary submission of this information. FCC noted that this is an ongoing activity with no specific completion date.
Recommendation: The Chairman of FCC should analyze data to better understand the extent that unused spectrum licenses exist over tribal lands, such as by analyzing the data for a sample of tribal lands, and as appropriate use this information to inform its oversight of the secondary market. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Federal Communications Commission
Status: Open

Comments: As of July 2020, FCC indicated that they believe this was implemented by the tribal priority window for the 2.5 GHz spectrum bands, but has yet to provide documentation to GAO. We will continue to monitor FCC actions in this area.
Recommendation: The Chairman of FCC should make information on spectrum-license holders more accessible and easy to understand for interested parties, including tribal entities, to promote their ability to purchase or lease spectrum licenses from other providers. (Recommendation 3)

Agency: Federal Communications Commission
Status: Open

Comments: As of July 2020, FCC said it was engaged in a multi-year project to modernize the Universal Licensing System (ULS), which is the online system that contains electronic records of all wireless spectrum licenses. FCC said it would transition ULS to a new platform that will provide more consistent performance, easier access to information, and enhanced functionality; the ULS modernization is an ongoing activity that FCC believes will be completed by December 2021.
Internet of Things: FCC Should Track Growth to Ensure Sufficient Spectrum Remains Available
GAO-18-71, Nov 16, 2017
Director: Goldstein, Mark L
Phone: (202) 512-2834

2 open recommendations
Display
Recommendation: The Chairman of FCC should track the growth in high bandwidth IoT devices, such as video-streaming devices and optical sensors. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Federal Communications Commission
Status: Open

Comments: FCC said that it believes it is best to monitor growth of overall Internet traffic and will work with industry and its Technological Advisory Council to monitor growth and ensure that communications infrastructure is sufficient to support the needs of the growing Internet sector. As of October 2019, FCC has not changed its position.
Recommendation: The Chairman of FCC should track the growth in IoT devices relying on unlicensed spectrum. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Federal Communications Commission
Status: Open

Comments: FCC said that it believes the best way to track growth in IoT devices using unlicensed spectrum it to monitor relevant information, such as published papers and conferences, and work with industry. As of October 2019, FCC has not changed its position and stated that it will be taking no further action.