FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr

Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr visited the Tower Installation Program at Aiken Technical College, which provides the practical and classroom training that enables workers to find jobs as tower climbers. Commissioner Carr delivered remarks on ensuring the US has the skilled workforce in place to build next-gen wireless networks and win the race to 5G. In particular, he identified the need for more Telecom Tower Technicians (known as “TTT-1”s) and how the US can achieve that goal by expanding on Aiken’s model program.

At the Federal Communications Commission, we’re working to be good partners for broadband builders like you [Wireless internet service providers]. And today, I’d like to mention a few of the ways we’re trying to do that: through modernized infrastructure rules, fair support programs, and smarter spectrum policies. In 2019, I am taking another look at the federal rules governing wireless infrastructure deployment. We will look to fully and faithfully implement the decisions Congress has made to streamline the deployment of next-generation technologies.

I want to provide an update on the significant progress we’ve made in the US to update our infrastructure rules. And I want to share some of the results we’re already seeing, including Internet speeds that are up 40% and 5G networks that are being built in the US at an accelerated clip.

For America to win the race to 5G, we must invigorate the free market by empowering our tower crews. We need to put you, the builders of wireless infrastructure, in a winning position by freeing you from needless government regulation and red tape. I’m proud that the FCC is executing on just this strategy. In 2019, I am taking another look at the federal rules governing wireless infrastructure deployment. We will look to fully and faithfully implement the decisions Congress has made to streamline the deployment of next-generation technologies.

Instead of embracing 5G, San Jose (CA) Mayor Sam Liccardo taxed it.  Beginning in 2015, the city sought up to $3,500 per year per small cell.  Compare that to $100 in Phoenix (AZ) and $50 in Indianapolis (IN) — cities about the size of San Jose that have leapfrogged it in terms of small cell deployment. Excessive taxes charged by big cities deplete the capital needed to build broadband in suburban and rural America. That’s why several dozen mayors, county supervisors, and elected leaders called on the Federal Communications Commission to act.

Spending time like this outside of DC—hearing directly from community leaders and broadband providers alike—is critical. I can think of no better way to identify both the regulatory barriers that needlessly slow down broadband deployment and the steps we can take back in Washington to remove them. As this hearing makes clear, spectrum and infrastructure are key for 5G. So I want to start by commending the [Senate Commerce] Committee for leading on these two issues.

Indiana is going to be one of the first states in the country to see 5G—the next-generation of wireless broadband. Indiana’s national leadership in mobile broadband is a direct result of this state’s policy decisions. A year ago, community leaders identified the opportunities that come with next-generation broadband and decided to address the challenges that threatened to stand in the way. A year after enacting Indiana’s small cell bill, the results are in—and they are remarkable.

We know the need for broadband in rural America. And we know the lost productivity and the lost job opportunities when fast connections are lacking.

We are in the midst of a global race to 5G. There is a lot at stake in winning this race. Being first to 5G could mean three million new jobs, half a trillion dollars added to the GDP, and $275 billion of private sector investment—all without a penny of new taxes. We want that. But our friends and competitors in Europe and Asia want that too. So how are we going to win this race? The good news is that we don’t need to invent a new strategy—we already know the winning playbook. Just as we did with 4G, we have to focus on two things: spectrum and infrastructure.

As a policymaker, I am committed to seeing the US win the 5G race. As with 4G, we have to focus on two things: spectrum and infrastructure. At the Federal Communications Commission, we have already assigned more high-band spectrum for 5G than any country in the world—we’re more than four gigahertz ahead of second-place China.  Cutting regulatory red tape is a big deal because it can flip the business case for thousands of communities. Communities that might have been uneconomical for the private sector to serve, will now get their shot at next-gen networks.