House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Holds Hearing on Spectrum Policy

The House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing on spectrum policy entitled "5G and Beyond: Exploring the Next Wireless Frontier." The hearing covered a range of spectrum topics, including the Federal Communications Commission’s authority to conduct spectrum auctions. The FCC’s auction authority, which has been extended several times since originally granted in 1993, is set to expire on September 30, 2022. If Congress fails to act, the FCC won’t have the authority to conduct spectrum auctions. The next auction due to start is for 2.5 GHz, set for July 2022. "I urge my colleagues to work in a bipartisan way to extend this authority once again," said House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) at the hearing. "We must do this well before the FCC begins its planned auction of the 2.5 Gigahertz (GHz) Band in July, otherwise the auction will be disrupted." Throughout the hearing, various spectrum bands came up, but the lower 3 GHz and the 7 GHz were frequently mentioned as potential bands in the pipeline for spectrum. Participants generally gave high praise to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and FCC for their recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on spectrum policies. "“We must have trust in the expertise at the NTIA and the FCC and confidence in the established process as we continue to push for a stable spectrum pipeline," said Rep Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). Of course, hearing participants also said they want to avoid another fiasco like the one experienced with the C-band, where the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and airlines raised red flags at the 11th hour, about the viability of 5G operating near radio altimeters.