Spectrum

The type of 5G spectrum used by carriers greatly affects the experience that users enjoy. Some of these spectrum bands are more commonly used in cities and so it’s important to look at these urban locations separately from national measures. Looking at five US cities — Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, New York and Washington DC — we see the average 5G Download Speed using Verizon is very significantly faster than the other US carriers. In every city, the average 5G Download Speed is over three times faster using Verizon than on either AT&T or T-Mobile.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the items below are tentatively on the agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 10, 2020:

The Federal Communications Commission adopted new rules for the 5.9 GHz band (5.850-5.925 GHz) to make new spectrum available for unlicensed uses, such as Wi-Fi, and improve automotive safety. Specifically, the new band plan designates the lower 45 megahertz (5.850-5.895 GHz) for unlicensed uses and the upper 30 megahertz (5.895-5.925 GHz) for enhanced automobile safety using Cellular Vehicle-toEverything (C-V2X) technology.

The House of Representatives passed the following bills:

By this Public Notice, the Federal Communications Commission identify 57 applicants that are qualified to bid in Auction 107. Auction 107 will offer new flexible‐use overlay licenses for spectrum in the 3.7–3.98 GHz band (3.7 GHz Service) throughout the contiguous US, subject to clearing requirements. Bidding in Auction 107 is scheduled to begin on Dec 8, 2020. This Public Notice also provides important information to qualified bidders concerning access to the Auction 107 bidding system, available educational materials, the mock auction, and the start of bidding for Auction 107.

This forum has attracted participants from across Europe and around the world because we all understand 5G’s transformative potential to unlock innovation and economic growth. I’ve been asked to talk to you about what we are doing in the United States to seize the opportunities of 5G. So let’s get to it.

America needs faster, more accessible mobile internet service—and the US military controls many airwaves that are well-suited to that task. How should the Pentagon share? Some want to tap the traditional US model and auction the spectrum to the highest bidder. Others say a new approach is called for: Let the government continue to own the spectrum rights while letting private companies rent it out, allowing more users to tap the spectrum at once.

The Federal Communications Commission Wireless announced that a second group of 2.5 GHz band spectrum license applications received as part of the Rural Tribal Priority Window have passed initial review and are accepted for filing. The Tribal applicants that filed these 57 applications are now one step closer to obtaining access to this prime mid-band spectrum to help address the connectivity needs of their rural communities.

The first 100 days of a new Administration and new Congress are critical to charting a clear, bipartisan course for our nation’s policy agenda. From COVID relief to budget decisions, take bold and decisive action to finish the job of connecting every American home, business and anchor institution to U.S. broadband infrastructure. Particularly amid a global pandemic, the fact that an estimated 18 million American homes do not have broadband access is unacceptable.

Technological innovation has long been and will continue to be critically important to per-capita income growth, economic competitiveness, and national security. So it is important to examine President-elect Joe Biden’s policy agenda through that lens. This report compiles information from the president-elect’s campaign website and policy documents, from the Democratic Party platform, and from media accounts of statements he has made.