Wireless

The recent interagency spat between the FAA and FCC over the rollout of 5G services in the C band was a case study in more than just bureaucratic turf wars. It shows how failure to invest in technological upgrades can leave some players looking silly while they struggle to adjust to changing times.

The Commission should commit to the productivity-enhancing nature of dynamic spectrum markets by declining to adopt proposals that would reduce the number of beneficial transactions that the enhanced competition incentive program (ECIP) could otherwise deliver.

It would be ironic and regrettable if, just as Congress passed a $1.2 billion infrastructure package, the Biden administration slows down the deployment of the wireless technology that represents the most important infrastructure for the country’s near-term future.

Standards-setting bodies for 5G technology appear to be working well, but U.S. policymakers are justifiably wary of China’s ambitions to manipulate the system. They should stay on guard and provide financial support for U.S. companies to participate.

Open Radio Access Networks (Open RANs) would define open standards and interfaces between components of wireless RANs, providing a unique opportunity to diversify the supply chain by separating today’s integrated, single-provider RAN systems into modular parts.

If high-speed mobile broadband drives productivity in normal years, then the economic benefits of increasing speeds should be even more pronounced in today’s labor market where so many jobs and services have transitioned to some level of remote work.

If Washington wants to show voters that government is doing something more than simply saying no or being ideologically dug in, then lawmakers and the administration should work to advance a set of actionable technology policy measures that would grow the U.S. economy.

Fearmongers claim the 5G sky is falling: China is way ahead, and drastic measures are needed to catch up. But these claims are often based on poorly understood comparisons of 5G deployment. China’s 5G stats can paint a misleading picture if taken at face value.

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation submitted feedback to the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Request for Information on Dynamic Spectrum Sharing for 5G networks.