Alion expands focus on wireless spectrum management

Wireless frequencies are limited resources but are critical to everything from cell phones and broadcasting to military and first responder communications. Policies and procedures for managing the wireless spectrum are complex, requiring deep understanding of both technical and legislative realities.

To support the ever-evolving demand for spectrum expertise both in the United States and abroad, Alion Science and Technology of McLean, VA is enhancing its long-standing capabilities in this area. As part of this effort, the company has hired industry authority Karl Nebbia to support the company’s spectrum-related services, the firm reported on January 30.

“The use of the wireless spectrum is exploding, so managing the technical and regulatory factors becomes more difficult every day. Alion has decades of experience, having provided numerous agencies with our advanced technical and operational capabilities, such as our support of software-defined radios,” explained Rob Hirt, Alion Sector Senior Vice President, who added that the future of spectrum development would require increased partnerships between government, industry and academia in order to develop both new technologies and policies surrounding their use.

“Karl Nebbia is recognized as the key resource on spectrum-related matters,” Hirt continued. “His insights and expertise will be of tremendous value to domestic and international organizations as we help them improve the allocation and management of this essential asset.”

Nebbia recently retired from the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), where he was associate administrator for the Office of Spectrum Management, a post he held since 2007. In his more than 30-year career with NTIA, Nebbia focused on developing policies and processes to manage the ever-growing issues surrounding the use of wireless frequencies by civilian government, the Department of Defense, commercial firms, municipalities and private users.

Source: Alion Science and Technology