Chief Spectrum Economist, The MITRE Corporation

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Carolyn Kahn serves as Chief Spectrum Economist at The MITRE Corporation, where she works across government, industry, and non-profit organizations to help solve the most difficult spectrum problems for a safer world. She has made groundbreaking technical contributions by applying economic principles to electromagnetic spectrum challenges to help optimize use of this critical national resource. Ms. Kahn’s expertise includes whole-of-nation solutions, electromagnetic spectrum, wireless communications, broadband, 5G/6G, spectrum valuation, spectrum macroeconomics, risk-informed sharing and management, and digital transformation. Her work has informed spectrum and technology modernization decisions at the highest levels of government and international organizations. Additionally, Ms. Kahn has served as a member of the Department of Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (CSMAC) since 2016, currently co-chairing its 6G Subcommittee and previously co-chairing its Unmanned Aircraft Spectrum Subcommittee. She has been a member of the ATIS Next G Alliance Societal and Economic Needs Working Group and was a facilitator and member of the organizing committee for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Wireless Spectrum Research and Development (WSRD) Workshop on Federal-Commercial Spectrum Sharing: Models, Applications, and Impacts of Incentives for Sharing. She previously led a seminal economic study on aeronautical mobile telemetry in support of the United Nations World Radio Conference in 2007. Ms. Kahn has co-authored reports as requested by Congress and delivered invited keynote presentations at national and international conferences. Ms. Kahn received the 2019 national Women of Color (WOC) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) award for Outstanding Technical Contribution in Industry. She earned an MBA in Finance and Marketing from McGill University, a BA with high honors in Economics and International Studies from Brandeis University, and the 2023 Distinguished Alumnus award from Shawnee High School.