Commissioner Simington Addresses MWC 2024

 The U.S is at a critical juncture for regaining leadership in driving future international spectrum allocation decisions.  The U.S is in serious risk of marooning itself and becoming a mid-band spectrum and technology island, given U.S. allocations in the 3 and 6 GHz bands that increasingly diverge from the harmonization in the rest of the world.  To stave off such an outcome, the U.S. must drive consensus with global industry ecosystem partners and government allies to ensure that emerging technologies and services, such as supplemental coverage from space services, or “direct-to-cell,” do not cause or suffer from harmful interference internationally.  Global consensus will also ensure that other nascent and future technologies are deployed in a harmonized manner that preserves economic scale and synergies—to the benefit of industry and consumers in all countries. The first and biggest imperative we have is reauthorizing the FCC’s auction authority.  I implore Congress to take action soon. And to preach to the choir a bit, I also agree with two of CTIA’s key policy assessments in the FCC’s spectrum implementation plan proceeding involving a unique opportunity for the U.S. to focus on the 7 and 8 GHz bands for 5G.