There is broad bipartisan agreement that 5G, the fifth-generation cellular network technology standard, is crucial for America’s economic competitiveness. A wide range of technologies will harness 5G’s vast capabilities, including wireline, cable, fiber, satellite, and mobile wireless. In practical terms, 5G will act as an overlay technology to help other networks extend their reach. In the same way that Wi-Fi turns a home wireline connection into a wireless network, 5G will help landline providers reach homes.
A 5G logo at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, February 26, 2019 – via REUTERS
Satellite technologies also have a role to play in the official 5G standard. Among their many uses, satellite technologies will offer 5G service in places that terrestrial networks can’t reach (or have difficulty reaching), such as aircraft, maritime vessels, and high-speed trains; shipping, trucking, and container tracking; unmanned systems (aerial vehicles, marine vehicles, or self-driving cars); and various machine-to-machine and Internet of Things applications. The only sad part of this story is that we had to wait an extra decade to realize it. Despite the agreement 10 years ago about the need for America to invest in next generation infrastructure, progress has been slow. Under the leadership of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Chairman Ajit Pai, that has changed — and fast.
Consider the case of Ligado Networks, which invested billions to launch a wireless network but got caught up in a regulatory rigmarole, delaying the deployment of valuable innovation and costing the economy billions of dollars in lost revenue. Had they received regulatory approval previously, their network would have been a fourth national carrier at the time AT&T attempted (unsuccessfully) to acquire T-Mobile, likely changing regulators’ market analysis.
Ligado has weathered the regulatory storm, and now under the Donald Trump administration, the company is poised to enable what the Barack Obama White House promised but couldn’t deliver. Its 40 megahertz of lower mid-band spectrum will be vital in the global 5G race. Today, the US is on a path to achieve superiority in 5G technology, which includes the vital task of freeing up as much spectrum as possible for the commercial marketplace. Importantly, this includes an “all of the above” spectrum strategy, meaning openness to a variety of spectrum bands, network technologies, and business models.
In the contentious world of spectrum, there can be factions. This recently came to a head when the FCC auctioned greenfield spectrum in the 24-gigahertz (GHz) band. After a long delay, the FCC finally took the important and necessary step of moving forward with the auction — which it has the legal authority and obligation to do. This was a necessary and crucial step, adding to the airwaves necessary to transmit wireless traffic and next-generation wireless services benefiting every community (regardless of size) across the US. No one doubts the importance of weather forecasting, but the 11th-hour challenge to the auction on the grounds that spectrum sharing would harm weather forecasting did not seem entirely credible. The proactive discussion we should be having is how to ensure America’s weather forecasting technology is state of the art.
Over the past decade, there has been a painstaking process between spectrum entrants and incumbents to test and determine whether and how they can co-exist. Entrants must undergo extensive technological testing with the FCC, Department of Defense, Department of Transportation, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Compromises have been struck among different parties that many never imagined would happen, supported by better information and improving spectrum access and management technologies. The FCC has also advanced flexible use of spectrum in its 2.5 and 3.5 GHz proceedings.
If policymakers want flexible uses for spectrum, they must do more than just talk. It has taken more than a decade to get to this point. If every spectrum decision takes this long, billions of dollars will be left on the table, national competitiveness will be sacrificed, and America will be eclipsed by countries moving more nimbly.
The delay means that policymakers leave major wins on the sidelines. But given the chance, market actors can move quickly and flexibly to accommodate the optimal allocation of spectrum. Consider the C-Band Alliance proceeding in which satellite providers have made significant concessions to make more spectrum available for 5G. It’s a lesson that government spectrum holders should heed and seize the opportunity for a win-win.
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