Spectrum management defines how different frequencies are allocated and used by various services such as mobile networks, satellite systems, broadcasting, aviation, defense, education, social and health services, and new technologies that require new spectrum bands. Efficient spectrum management, therefore, helps allocate the spectrum in a way that maximizes its utilization across different sectors, preventing inefficient use and minimizing interference.
Spectrum management plays a crucial role in improving access to key social and economic opportunities in the digital economy for all sectors of Philippine society. Wireless broadband is helping drive the digital transformation of vital industries such as healthcare, education, logistics, retail, and transportation, and has helped unlock emerging economic activities such as the gig economy and online shopping that rely on stable connections.
Efficient spectrum management involves various techniques and strategies to ensure that the finite radio frequency spectrum is used optimally, minimizing interference, and maximizing its utilization. For example, regulators in other countries have used competitive auctions to allocate spectrum licenses to operators as this technique encourages efficient allocation by allowing market forces to determine the value of spectrum.