US senators seek to reallocate government spectrum to boost 5G networks
Source: Reuters
March 11, 2024 12:11 PM EDT
WASHINGTON, March 11 (Reuters) - Two top Republican senators are introducing legislation on Monday that would require some U.S. government-owned spectrum be auctioned off to boost commercial wireless 5G networks. Congress in March 2023 let the Federal Communications Commission's authority to auction spectrum lapse for the first time in three decades amid debate about what spectrum used by the Defense Department could be repurposed or shared.
But demand for spectrum use is soaring, driven in part by advancements in drones, self-driving vehicles, moon missions and precision agriculture. Mobile U.S. wireless data traffic rose 38% in 2022, the largest-ever increase in mobile data traffic.
The "Spectrum Pipeline" bill sponsored by Senators Ted Cruz and John Thune would require the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to identify at least 2,500 megahertz of mid-band spectrum that could be reallocated from federal government use to non-governmental or shared use over the next 5 years.
The bill would require the FCC to auction at least 1,250 megahertz of spectrum for full-power commercial wireless services, including 5G, within six years - and at least 600 megahertz within 3 years.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/us-senators-seek-reallocate-government-spectrum-boost-5g-networks-2024-03-11/
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