Cisco Cisco Spectrum Expert Wi-Fi White Paper

White Paper

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RF Spectrum Policy: Future-Proof Wireless Investment Through
Better Compliance

Radio frequency (RF) spectrum is an overlooked but critical resource. It is through the spectrum between 800 MHz

and 5.9 GHz that an organization will:

●

Connect laptops and PDAs to the network

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Talk on cellular phones, cordless phones, and headsets

●

Secure buildings with security cameras

Unless properly managed, many of these technologies will crowd the spectrum and negatively impact WLAN

services. Because the spectrum is a shared resource, the need to monitor, manage, and secure it is imperative to

optimal wireless reliability and performance. This paper focuses on the process of defining a spectrum management

policy.

Defining a Spectrum Policy

Usage of the spectrum is not covered in most existing IT policies. Even if there is a wireless policy in place,

extending the existing policy so that it addresses issues of spectrum management is the recommended initial course

of action.

In addition to addressing interference problems generically, organizations will also need to define a spectrum policy

for mitigating security vulnerabilities specific to the RF spectrum. Mitigating such threats is beyond the scope of

basic wireless computing policies or policies describing the acceptable use of IT equipment.

Using the definition stage to take stock of the wireless and IT asset policies an organization has in place is the

preliminary step. Once this is established, the next process is to adopt the guidelines described in this paper to meet

the business’s needs.

Crafting the Main Statement

Generally, it is best to start with a general statement defining the intended purpose and goals of the policy. Here is a

sample policy statement that refers to WLANs:

[COMPANYNAME] provides secure wireless access to computing and information technology (IT) resources for

employees, associates, and guests as part of the services offered to enhance productivity in the workplace. Wireless

networks operate within a shared and finite radio spectrum. The IT department will maintain administrative rights

over this spectrum to ensure fair and efficient allocation of the resource. Ensuring availability requires the careful

management of traffic and the minimizing of interference in the RF environment.