Senate Commerce Committee Leaders Urge Chairman Pai to Speed Deployment of Spectrum for 5G

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Communications Subcommittee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai urging the FCC to redouble its efforts to make mid-band spectrum available for 5G. The Sens wrote, "Currently, the United States lags far behind our competitors in the availability of mid-band spectrum for 5G. While Citizens Band Radio Service will make 70 MHz of licensed spectrum available under a novel licensing scheme, much more is needed. In MOBILE NOW Congress directed the FCC to evaluate commercial wireless use of spectrum in the 3.7 GHz to 4.2 GHz band, and the Commission has begun the process. In the year since passage of that law, the need for action has become even more acute. It has been estimated that accelerating infrastructure deployment by one year could drive an additional $100 billion in economic impact in the next three years. Therefore, we urge the Commission to act quickly to make spectrum in the 3.7 GHz to 4.2 GHz band available for 5G.”