Lawmakers Leery of Satellite Companies’ 5G Airwaves Plan

The Federal Communications Commission will soon decide whether to side with foreign satellite companies, and allow them to sell their rights to a swath of public airwaves to speed the deployment of 5G technology.  Such a sale to the nation’s biggest wireless providers could bring in as much as $40 billion—and now Congress is threatening to step in and prevent the FCC from allowing the satellite companies to pocket the money. Several influential lawmakers have fired warning shots at the agency in recent weeks, casting doubt over whether they’ll sit idly by if the FCC permits that kind of private sale of public airwaves at U.S. taxpayers’ expense. “I think we have to ask ourselves: why should the FCC allow a group of foreign satellite providers to walk away with potentially tens of billions of dollars that could be used to solve our own country’s broadband needs?” asked House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle (D-PA). Chairman Doyle plans to introduce legislation that could address his concerns with satellite companies’ proposal, including ensuring that US taxpayers get a piece of the spectrum proceeds. Sens Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) are also working on spectrum legislation that may include provisions on C-band airwaves, apparently.