Spectrum Policy

The FCC’s outdated “spectrum scarcity” rationale no longer justifies special content regulations for broadcasters, and it is time to treat radio and TV like any other form of speech under the First Amendment.

Consumers would benefit directly from more capable spectrum use and commercial offerings, and the home and mobile broadband markets would benefit from a more capable competitor.

As of 2023, the United States leads the OECD in 5G connectivity with 68.4 connections per 100 inhabitants.

In most cases, local governments have neither the competence nor the economies of scale to deliver broadband as well as private ISPs. So, favoring government-owned networks wastes societal resources, creates unfair competition, and is frequently unsustainable in the long run.

The Commission should foster the innovative and productive potential of the CBRS band by increasing maximum power limits and harmonizing out-of-band-emission limits on the upper part of the band with those in the adjacent C band.

The Commission should pursue all policy options to increase spectrum productivity. Here, however, it is highly questionable whether the NextNav proposal would accomplish that goal.

Congress should restore the FCC’s spectrum auction authority.

Congress should reform broadband subsidies to address the remaining causes of the digital divide: affordability and digital literacy.

Watch now for an ITIF discussion alongside experts and stakeholders who will provide context and perspectives for the state of U.S. spectrum policy and discuss how we can increase the productivity of scarce spectrum resources.

These best practices should guide the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and all federal agencies as they implement the National Spectrum Strategy.