Get ready for the summer of spectrum squabbling

For the first time ever, Congress allowed the Federal Communication Commission's spectrum auction authority to lapse—a development that prevents the agency from auctioning more spectrum to 5G network operators. At roughly the same time, President Joe Biden's nominee to the FCC, Gigi Sohn [Senior Fellow and Public Advocate at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society], abruptly withdrew from contention without any clear replacement. That leaves the agency deadlocked between two Republicans and two Democrats for the foreseeable future. For the wireless industry, the political tumult in Washington likely signals a standstill on spectrum policy. That's noteworthy, considering Biden's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is hoping to release a national spectrum strategy in fall 2023. But, according to some analysts, the gridlock in Washington may not have a huge impact—at least for now. However, the fight over spectrum—including for 5G and eventually 6G networks—isn't over. US wireless providers continue to eye additional spectrum in bands ranging from 3GHz to 13GHz. "We expect that longer-term legislation will emerge in the fall, but the battles over sharing and exclusive use [spectrum licenses] are not close to resolution," wrote New Street analysts.