---
kind: "section"
citation: "47 U.S.C. § 1509"
title: "47"
title_heading: "Telecommunications"
number: "1509"
heading: "Spectrum Challenge Prize"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/47/1509"
units:
  - "Chapter 14 — Making Opportunities for Broadband Investment and Limiting Excessive and Needless Obstacles to Wireless"
---

# §1509. Spectrum Challenge Prize

- (a) **Short title—** This section may be cited as the “Spectrum Challenge Prize Act”.
- (b) **Definition of prize competition—** In this section, the term “prize competition” means a prize competition conducted by the [Secretary](/usc/47/1501.md?p=6) under [subsection (c)(1)](#c-1).
- (c) **Spectrum Challenge Prize—**
  - (1) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/47/1501.md?p=6), in consultation with the Assistant [Secretary](/usc/47/1501.md?p=6) of Commerce for Communications and Information and the Under [Secretary](/usc/47/1501.md?p=6) of Commerce for Standards and Technology, shall, subject to the availability of funds for prize competitions under this section—
    - (A) conduct prize competitions to dramatically accelerate the development and commercialization of technology that improves spectrum efficiency and is capable of cost-effective deployment; and
    - (B) 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.
  - (2) **Authority of Secretary—** In carrying out [paragraph (1)](#c-1), the [Secretary](/usc/47/1501.md?p=6) may—
    - (A) enter into a grant, contract, cooperative agreement, or other agreement with a private sector for-profit or nonprofit entity to administer the prize competitions;
    - (B) invite the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the [Commission](/usc/47/1501.md?p=2), 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
    - (C) award not more than $5,000,000, in the aggregate, to the winner or winners of the prize competitions.
- (d) **Criteria—** Not later than 180 days after the date on which funds for prize competitions are made available pursuant to this section, the [Commission](/usc/47/1501.md?p=2) shall publish a technical paper on spectrum efficiency providing criteria that may be used for the design of the prize competitions.
- (e) **Authorization of appropriations—** There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 115–141, div. P, title VI, § 619, Mar. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 1113.)