Sec. 20. Spectrum challenge prize
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Congress finds the following: The future competitiveness and global technology leadership of the United States depend, in part, upon the availability and efficient use of spectrum. Dramatic improvement in spectrum efficiency would spur innovation, investment, and economic growth. Radio frequency spectrum is vital for emergency communications, national security, law enforcement, aviation, maritime safety, space communications, and numerous other Federal functions. Prize competitions can spur innovation in the private and public sectors.
In this section, the term prize competition means a prize competition conducted by the Secretary under subsection (c)(1). The Secretary, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology, shall, subject to the availability of funds for prize competitions under this section— conduct prize competitions to dramatically accelerate the development and commercialization of technology that improves spectrum efficiency and is capable of cost-effective deployment; and define a measurable set of performance goals for participants in the prize competitions to demonstrate their solutions on a level playing field while making a significant advancement over the current state of the art.
In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary may— enter into a grant, contract, cooperative agreement, or other agreement with a private sector for-profit or nonprofit entity to administer the prize competitions; invite the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Commission, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, or any other Federal agency to provide advice and assistance in the design or administration of the prize competitions; and award not more than $5,000,000, in the aggregate, to the winner or winners of the prize competitions.
Not later than 180 days after the date on which funds for prize competitions are made available pursuant to this section, the Commission shall publish a technical paper on spectrum efficiency providing criteria that may be used for the design of the prize competitions. There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.