TPRC 2025: The 53nd Research Conference on Communications, Information and Inter

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Abstract:
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) at the Department of Commerce recently published its National Spectrum Strategy (NSS) along with an implementation plan. The NSS points to particular bands that may be suitable for either repurposing or sharing with other applications, totaling 2790 MHz. These bands include 3.1-3.45 GHz, assigned for use by the Department of Defense; 7.125-8.4 GHz, allocated to a variety of space-based communications systems and other applications; and 37-37.6 GHz, considered for shared use between Federal and non-Federal users. The NSS raises several questions about possible ways in which those bands might be reconfigured for a broader range of applications. We first summarize the four main pillars in the NSS, and then give a retrospective on past spectrum planning efforts, going back several decades. From that review we outline suggestions for future policy decisions concerning spectrum access rights.

Coexistence, and in particular, primary-secondary sharing, plays a key role in the NSS approach. Determining a priori what applications may reasonably coexist with incumbents in particular bands is treated primarily as a technical question, requiring measurements to assess the potential for “harmful” interference. We discuss potential benefits and limitations of measurements and associated measurement testbeds, to be developed as part of the NSS. While field measurements may provide some information about spectrum utilization, welfare maximization requires an assessment of economic value. Stakeholders and incumbents, in particular, may not have an incentive to reveal that information to regulators. Measurement testbeds can help to expand the range of possible conflict-mitigation mechanisms as inputs to policy makers. However, testbed capabilities will also be shaped by stakeholder incentives (or lack thereof), leading to experimental limitations in terms of both technologies and propagation scenarios that can be demonstrated. We include some recommendations concerning measurements and data collection as inputs to policy-makers that should help to minimize rigidities and associated inefficiencies with spectrum use.

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This paper is a comparative analysis of national strategies for developing mobile technology in four countries–China, India, South Korea, and the United States–encompassing state support for research and development, innovation, industrial policy, and standard setting. Three generations of mobile technology are examined from 3G to 5G. We conclude with speculations on emerging policies in the realm of 6G in the context of past national experiences with, and learning from, previous generations of mobile technology.

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Seeking to accelerate digitalisation of enterprises, some regulators have started relying on radio spectrum set asides for enterprises. Set-asides reserve radio bandwidth for potential use by enterprises in specific locations. This study empirically examines the impact of spectrum set-asides on enterprise digitalisation and public network quality. We find no evidence that set-asides have accelerated adoption of private networks or more broadly defined digitalisation of enterprises. However, use of radio spectrum set-asides presents a trade off, as it diminishes spectrum availability for public networks, potentially affecting download speeds and overall service quality. We find that 100 MHz of additional spectrum nationally was linked to 4.5 Mbps greater download speeds (or 24% increase). These findings underscore the need for cautious policy approaches and consideration of alternative spectrum access frameworks.

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Differential privacy (DP) is a state-of-the-art privacy-preserving mechanism. In this paper, we argue that interpreting users’ personalized and contextual privacy choices is key to applying DP in actual use cases. Through the lens of contextual integrity (CI), we conducted a proof-ofconcept survey (N=23) to examine how app types and information receivers affected people’s perceived appropriateness of information disclosures and their choices of the privacy-data utility tradeoff in DP. Through the exploratory analysis, we revealed people’s diverse privacy choices, which were affected by contexts. Further, people’s perceived appropriateness of information flows and desired tradeoff between privacy and data utility in DP were consistent. Based on the findings, we point out the technical questions and uncertainty about DP and stress the importance of understanding users’ personalized and contextual privacy choices to avoid misalignment between app and users and, therefore, enhance the usability of DP. This research sheds light on making DP more socially aware and adaptive to user needs via integration with the CI framework.

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Since the reversal of Roe v. Wade in the Summer of 2022 in the United States, rising concerns have emerged towards privacy, data protection, and digital trust concerning reproductive health data. Such health data has become both a commodity in the commercial world and source of discovery in legal proceedings that attempt to incriminate women for seeking abortions. Digital footprints created via location data, private conversations on platforms, and internet search history lead to a constant state of surveillance that threatens privacy and freedom of movement for women throughout the United States. We conducted an online survey via Amazon Mechanical Turk in order to identify the largest user concerns towards privacy of health tracking and period tracking applications. A large number of users were concerned with the privacy of their reproductive information and were found to have deleted period tracking applications due to these concerns. Additionally, we sought to identify what actions would lead users to feel more comfortable using these applications, identifying the largest being the localized storage of this data on their device. These findings suggest that users may be more likely to use these applications if their privacy concerns are addressed.

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Differential Privacy (DP) is a powerful technology, but not well-suited to protecting corporate proprietary information while computing aggregate industry-wide statistics. We elucidate this scenario with an example of cybersecurity management data, and consider an alternative approach that relies on a pragmatic assessment of harm to add noise to the data.

Discussion topics may include the influence of emerging technologies such as open and virtual networks, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and quantum computing; security and privacy issues; and economic, market, and societal concerns and solutions.
Overall, the panel aims to generate discussion around key opportunities for successful spectrum management and wireless policy. What are important lessons learned, nationally and from other countries? What worked well, what research is needed, and how best to leverage the opportunities?

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This study investigates the responses of American Muslim individuals to algorithmic profiling and surveillance practices facilitated by prayer apps, specifically Muslim Pro. Using a mixed-methods approach involving surveys and thematic analysis of qualitative data, the research explores participants' expressions of discomfort, behavioral adaptations, and experiences with algorithmic surveillance. Findings reveal significant unease among participants regarding potential surveillance by US security agencies targeting religious activities through digital platforms. Participants reported modifying their digital religious practices, including altering app usage patterns and adopting privacy-enhancing measures. Thematic analysis uncovers prevalent themes of distrust, anxiety, and concerns about potential abuses related to data collection and predictive analytics. Participants express apprehensions about privacy infringements and the chilling effect on their freedom of religious expression. The study underscores the need for ethical considerations and regulatory safeguards to protect privacy rights and uphold constitutional protections in digital contexts. These findings contribute valuable insights into the impacts of algorithmic surveillance on religious communities and advocate for policies balancing security imperatives with individual rights.

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The landmark 2018 US Supreme Court case Carpenter v. United States determined that a certain type of data—historical cell site location information—is protected by the Fourth Amendment and thus cannot be accessed by the government without a search warrant. At the same time, the Court asserted that this ruling was a narrow one that did not undermine the third party doctrine, which holds that a person has no reasonable expectation of privacy for information voluntarily shared with third-party actors, such as telecommunications companies.

This paper explores how the narrow yet significant Carpenter ruling can be applied to an alternative category of data: metadata, and specifically browser fingerprints. In other words, given the risks of potentially individual-level tracking using browser metadata, should browser fingerprints be protected under the Fourth Amendment, similar to cell site location information? If the government were able to access individual users’ browser fingerprints and retrieve their browsing history and other web activity, should that be considered a protected search that requires a warrant justified by probable cause?

I explore this question by tracing the evolution in case law of the Fourth Amendment from its property-based conceptualization to its more recent applications in the form of a test to determine when and where individuals can claim a reasonable expectation of privacy. In particular, I focus on how Carpenter has potentially created a new framework by which the third party doctrine can be limited in the case of exceptional categories of information—including, so far, only cell site location information but, as I argue, potentially digital metadata as well. I explore this specifically using the case of browser fingerprints, which are a category of data collected about a user’s device, such as the operating system, browser, time zone, extensions, and other properties and settings, which could be used together to uniquely identify an individual. I conclude by reflecting on the need for the Supreme Court to respond both to technological developments and to average expectations and behaviors of individuals on the internet by building on Carpenter to expand privacy rights online through Fourth Amendment protections.

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As the main drivers of the digital divide evolve, digital inclusion efforts that seek to increase digital skills, build consumer trust in digital technologies, and promote information about affordability plans and other broadband availability programs have fast become key to getting everyone online. Accordingly, a major subset of digital inclusion activities now involves efforts to teach and promote “digital skills” to help consumers make the most of their broadband connection. But despite being a cornerstone of digital inclusion, digital skills in the United States are neither comprehensively nor consistently measured. Those attempting to measure the problem of low digital skills are relegated to choosing from multiple piecemeal studies with competing interpretations of what it even is to be truly digitally literate.

This is taking on new relevance as states and territories embark on a digital upskilling through programs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. With participants tasked with setting and meeting “measurable objectives” for their digital inclusion efforts, including upskilling, lack of a consistent framework means that we could emerge on the other side of these programs with a series of incompatible assessments and disparate digital skills benchmarks, leaving us no closer to a national understanding of where we stand or attainment of shared goals. To be broadly successful, efforts to digitally upskill the United States need to be grounded in a data-driven understanding of what current digital literacy rates are and—importantly—broad agreement on what accomplishing widespread digital literacy will actually look like. 

This report argues for the creation of a national digital skills framework and explains the immediate policy context. It explores some key literature and studies measuring different aspects of digital literacy, including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Survey of Adult Skills (which measures competence in a digital environment) and the Pew Research Center’s survey assessing familiarity with various digital topics. It also examines some existing digital skills frameworks, such as Northstar Digital Literacy, the International Society for Technology in Education’s standards for technology usage in classrooms, and the EU’s DigComp. After examining the landscape of available resources, this report outlines, in broad strokes, some potential paths forward to a national digital skills framework.