Commissioner Carr Remarks on "The U.S. View on 5G" at ETNO-MLex Regulatory Summit in Brussels, Belgium

Wanting to lead in 5G is not enough to get the transition across the finish line. The key is to update our regulatory structures so that they are what I call “5G Ready.” This means taking concrete steps to reform our regulations and ensure that they incentivize the massive private sector investments necessary to build the networks of the future. I want to highlight three steps that I think regulators must take to get 5G Ready.

First, we must modernize our infrastructure deployment rules. The permitting, siting, and review processes that applied during the transition to 4G is not going to work for 5G given the massive number of small cells that this transition will entail. The second step I think we need to take to ensure we’re 5G Ready is to continue freeing up spectrum for mobile broadband. The third and final piece of the 5G picture that I want to talk about today is ensuring that our regulations do not stand in the way of innovation. We must make sure that our regulatory framework provides the incentives necessary to unleash the massive investment in private sector capital needed to deploy, upgrade, and maintain the networks of the future.