Spectrum Occupancy and Ambient Power Distributions for the 3.5 GHz Band Estimated from Observations at Point Loma and Fort Story

Published

September 11, 2018

Author(s)

Max Lees, Adam Wunderlich, Peter J. Jeavons, Paul D. Hale, Michael R. Souryal

Abstract

This report presents descriptive statistics characterizing a set of over 14,000 spectrograms that were recorded by a recent measurement campaign at two coastal locations: Point Loma, in San Diego, California and Fort Story, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Specifically, occupancy and vacancy statistics are compiled for each 10 MHz channel in which a primary federal incumbent system in the 3.5 GHz band (3550-3700 MHz), the shipborne SPN-43 air traffic control radar, was observed. In addition, empirical ambient (SPN-43 absent) power density distributions are presented for each multiple of 10 MHz between 3440-3670 MHz. These descriptive statistics are potentially informative to federal regulators and commercial users of the Citizens Broadband Radio Service that permits commercial wireless networks to share spectrum with federal users in the 3550-3700 MHz band in the United States.

Citation

Technical Note (NIST TN) - 2016

Report Number

2016

NIST Pub Series

Technical Note (NIST TN)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

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DOI Link

Keywords

spectrum occupancy, spectrograms, wireless

Citation

Lees, M. , Wunderlich, A. , Jeavons, P. , Hale, P. and Souryal, M. (2018), Spectrum Occupancy and Ambient Power Distributions for the 3.5 GHz Band Estimated from Observations at Point Loma and Fort Story, Technical Note (NIST TN), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.2016 (Accessed October 17, 2025)