The Good, the Bad, and the 5G

The buzz over “5G,” the next generation of wireless technology, has been heating up, but most of the hype fails to account for the fact that a robust, innovative, and affordable 5G wireless ecosystem for all Americans will not result from empowering and allocating the best public airwaves to the four nationwide mobile carriers alone. America’s wireless future depends on enabling the development of a diverse set of network providers, empowering smaller providers to supplement the coverage of the major carriers, and strengthening unlicensed technologies such as Wi-Fi. The mobile industry has pressured the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to enact policies to help them dominate the deployment of 5G domestically, allegedly because that will help the United States win the “race to 5G” globally. The FCC’s latest response, with respect to allocating critical mid-band spectrum, is a mixed decision: In a draft decision released October 2, the agency proposes giving the mobile industry a big win over smaller competitors and a wide range of industries, while also taking an important step to expand the availability of unlicensed spectrum needed for gigabit-fast Wi-Fi. At its October 23 meeting, the FCC is set to vote on two items.