"EMS superiority is critically important for all combatant commands. The spectrum is foundational to what [the] Space Force does," Dickinson told the US Senate Armed Services Committee.
When asked by senators if there would be some risk to disposing some of the bandwidth to be operated by the private sector, Dickinson replied "Yes."
The Congressional Research Service has said in a 2021 report that demand by private industry for increased access to the EMS spectrum has been growing rapidly in recent years. However, as more and more private companies flood into 5G use, the risk grows that they could disrupt military communications and operations, the report added.
Consequently, the US Defense Department and a number of its commercial partners are jointly exploring spectrum sharing policies and technologies, according to published reports.