In a world connected by wireless communication, few people understand the work required to make this communication possible. Lance Johnson, Vice President of Spectrum Strategy & Government Affairs at Anterix, is one of them.

When asked what superpower he would choose, Lance said he would want the ability to see what is coming before it happens, especially when it comes to knowing when regulatory changes or spectrum deals will finally close. But to those who work with him, Lance already has something close to a superpower: clearing spectrum.

So, what does it mean to “clear spectrum”?

As one of the few people in the United States who understands and can implement the process, Lance guides his team to help make contiguous swaths of spectrum available for critical infrastructure operators’ private broadband networks. The team focuses on buying, selling, and trading licenses while addressing challenges of geography, availability, timing, and the needs of existing license holders. Lance’s team must work to create win-win solutions within a marketplace where a license may be available from only one party, in one location, at one specific moment in time. The process enables Anterix’s customers to implement the change from narrowband to 900 MHz broadband spectrum—the foundation upon which private networks operate.

Throughout his career, Lance has helped influence government policy and implement the rules that determine how spectrum can be used. Beginning in 1998 at Nextel, he was hired to implement a rule change to clear auctioned 800 MHz spectrum. That work continued through additional successful rule changes in 2001 and 2005.

In 2010, Lance took on a new challenge with the federal government, helping lead the implementation of a grant program for broadband wireless communication services for public safety agencies. That effort contributed to what eventually became FirstNet, the nationwide public safety broadband network now operated by AT&T.

That connection with public safety is especially meaningful for Lance. While his team’s work often happens behind the scenes, its impact is felt in the moments when reliable communication is vital for first responders, plant workers, and utility crews.

After his work with public safety broadband, Lance saw another opportunity: bringing 900 MHz broadband spectrum to utilities. He connected with Anterix’s then-leadership and shared the idea of using the 900 MHz band to support utility communications. Once funding was in place, Lance became, as he described it, “the guy that then starts implementing it.” He started by building the team, advancing the FCC rule changes, and moving the spectrum toward broadband use.

Lance has spent the past 12 years at Anterix helping build a team focused on clearing 900 MHz spectrum and converting narrowband licenses into broadband licenses. The work is complex, long-term, and highly collaborative, requiring cross-functional coordination across sales, technology, customer success, regulatory strategy, and spectrum operations teams.

That coordination helps ensure Anterix customers have access to spectrum that can support their private wireless journey. Lance also partners with technology leadership to help align FCC rules with global standards, so the spectrum can be used effectively by manufacturers, vendors, and, ultimately, utility customers.

This cross-functional collaboration is critical because clearing spectrum extends beyond Anterix. It also means working with companies and organizations that rely on radio communications for mission-critical operations, helping ensure they have communications “when they’re working on the plant floor, or protecting a facility, or providing communication services to linemen in the field.”

Experience has taught Lance that the transition from narrowband to broadband has to be handled with trust and care. “In negotiations, you have to be honest with the other side, and you have to be honest with the people that are working for you and trusting you to help them do their job,” Lance says. That integrity has helped define Anterix’s reputation in the wireless industry.

That reputation is built through follow-through. Lance is proud that, across more than 400 agreements, his team has executed with integrity: “We follow through, and we pay on time.” Stakeholders appreciate that commitment and see Anterix as a true partner.

For Lance, leadership means preparing people for the challenges ahead and helping them understand not only what needs to happen, but why it matters. He believes the best path forward comes from transparency, trust, and making sure the right people have the right information to reach the right outcome.

That same mindset applies to Anterix’s utility customers. Many utility engineering teams deeply understand their existing land mobile radio systems, but the move toward private LTE and private 5G introduces new possibilities. Lance and his team help connect the foundation of spectrum with the future of utility communications.

Because without spectrum, the devices, systems, and networks cannot operate as intended. As Lance puts it, “Spectrum is the commodity upon which everything rests.” While he may still wish for the ability to foresee the future, Lance has already spent his career helping build it, from public safety broadband to private wireless for utilities.

At Anterix, his work continues to clear the way for safer, more reliable, and more resilient communications across the country.