Federal and commercial companies are being asked to relinquish as much space as they can of the electromagnetic radiation frequency spectrum for the Department of Defense. The part of the spectrum that is needed for the current fleet of the U.S. military drones and the next generation of F-35 stealth jets is also being used by cellphone users.
According to Center for Strategic and International Studies analyst, Jim Lewis, the demand for electromagnetic spectrum in the U.S. has grown by 20% in the last year due to the increase in people using 4G cellular phones and viewing streaming videos. A strategy developed and released by the Pentagon details the short and long-term spectrum challenges in regards to the increased demand for wireless broadband services.