System and method for policy-based spectrum management

A method of managing spectrum use in a managed area, comprising:

• sensing spectrum use with one or more spectrum sensors deployed in the managed area to sense spectrum use in the managed area, each sensor generating corresponding sensor data;
• determining that an incumbent spectrum user is actively using spectrum in the managed area by analyzing the sensor data from the one or more spectrum sensors, wherein spectrum use in the managed area by the incumbent user is carried out on an intermittent basis;
• identifying a spectrum use policy associated with characteristics of the determined active spectrum use that is carried out by the incumbent user, the identified spectrum use policy comprising a spectrum use restriction on spectrum use by secondary spectrum users;
• and
• creating a new or modifying an existing set of spectrum user permissions that allow use of spectrum defined in the set of spectrum use permissions by the secondary users without violation of the spectrum use restriction of the spectrum use policy, and notifying one or more secondary spectrum users of the new of modified set of spectrum use permissions.