UK SPF Event Round-Up: February Plenary 2025
The UK SPF hosted its first Plenary session in the year with an engaging discussion on the evolving landscape of AI in spectrum management. The session covered a range of topics, including a study by the Smith’s Institute, critical challenges in spectrum management, and the global state-of-the-art approaches being adopted across industries.
Key Challenges in Spectrum Management
Smith Institute and Spectrivity presented an overview of the major challenges outlined in the latest report. Connectivity remains a pressing issue, with growing usage stretching existing infrastructure and making quality of service insights increasingly difficult to obtain. Monitoring is another area of debate, with ongoing discussions about whether the responsibility should lie with Ofcom or industry players. Additionally, interference management presents challenges, requiring dynamic solutions to maintain service integrity while minimizing disruptions.
AI’s Role in Spectrum Management: Global Perspectives
AI-driven innovation in spectrum management is gaining traction globally. Notable initiatives include the DARPA Spectrum Collaboration Challenge in the US and the UK's Spectrum Sandbox projects. Cutting-edge AI techniques such as deep learning, reinforcement learning, large language models (LLMs), autoencoders, and generative AI are being leveraged to optimize spectrum usage and management.
The report provided several key findings and recommendations for AI implementation:
- Automating Licensing Applications: LLMs can streamline the process by rapidly processing and evaluating applications, reducing administrative burdens.
- AI-Powered Monitoring & Compliance: Anomaly detection models can proactively identify and resolve service disruptions before they escalate, minimizing downtime.
- Spectrum Sharing & Interference Management: Predictive AI models can forecast dynamic interference, reducing the need for extensive protection zones and allowing for more efficient spectrum use.
- Simulation: Where real-world data is scarce, synthetic data can be used to train AI models, ensuring more accurate predictions and insights.
- Digital Twins: Digital twin environments can simulate real-world spectrum conditions, allowing regulators and industry players to test strategies and optimize spectrum management in a controlled setting.
These findings emphasize AI’s growing role in improving spectrum efficiency, reducing interference, and automating complex administrative processes. However, successful implementation will require addressing regulatory challenges, ensuring data quality, and maintaining human oversight in decision-making.
Panel Discussion: Insights from Experts
Despite its potential, AI in spectrum management presents challenges. Over-reliance on AI is a significant concern, as AI systems are only as effective as the quality of their training data. Transitioning to AI-driven processes could also cause disruptions, requiring careful planning and risk management. Additionally, regulatory frameworks for AI in spectrum management are still being developed. Ensuring transparency, trust, and human oversight is crucial to maintaining accountability and effectiveness.
The panel explored key concerns around AI regulation, spectrum sharing, and the complexities of data asymmetry. Experts emphasized the importance of transparency in AI decision-making, particularly in regulatory contexts. Spectrum sharing remains a challenge, especially in military and public sector applications where existing users may be reluctant to tolerate interference. AI can enhance decision-making, but humans must remain in control, especially when dealing with probabilistic outcomes.
The discussion also touched on the potential of digital twins for policy and operational efficiencies. While simulated environments could provide valuable insights, their use raises policy and regulatory challenges. Ultimately, AI is not a standalone solution but a tool that must be integrated into a broader ecosystem of spectrum management strategies.
UK SPF Steering Board Update
The UK Spectrum Policy Forum’s steering board meeting recap included updates on AI strategy plans and the SPF’s role as an independent sounding board. The board reaffirmed its commitment to leveraging diverse industry perspectives and aligning priorities with the UK’s AI and spectrum leadership teams. Additionally, the SPF workplan was reviewed to ensure it remains fit for purpose, with a particular focus on the future of UHF spectrum studies, which will be a key topic at DySPAN.
Several key events are on the horizon, including discussions on critical communications and future spectrum demand, indoor connectivity challenges, and future spectrum needs for public sector users. DySPAN follow-up activities and additional workshops on spectrum sandboxes and WRC27 topics such as sea surface temperature and space weather are also planned. SPF members are encouraged to contribute further ideas for WRC27 agenda-setting discussions.
The plenary highlighted the growing intersection of AI and spectrum management, the challenges of implementation, and the need for collaborative governance. As the industry evolves, ongoing research, regulatory refinement, and innovative AI applications will play a crucial role in shaping the future of spectrum management.
Contact us
Sophie Greaves
Sophie Greaves is Head of Programme for Communications Infrastructure and Services at techUK, and oversees the UK Spectrum Policy Forum.
Tales Gaspar
Tales has a background in law and economics, with previous experience in the regulation of new technologies and infrastructure.
