Earlier today, in an address hosted by the American Enterprise Institute, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr detailed his vision for continued American leadership in the race to 5G.
Mark your calendars: Commissioner Carr will participate in a fireside chat with Free State Foundation President Randolph J. May next Tuesday at 11 am EDT as part of FSF's Thirteenth Annual Telecom Policy Conference.
Characterizing the FCC's extensive efforts to accelerate the deployment of 5G under then-Chairman Ajit Pai as "one of the great success stories of the past four years," Commissioner Carr explained that that progress came to pass because the agency "bet on America's free enterprise system" and "went with a tried and true playbook – freeing up more spectrum and modernizing our infrastructure rules."
Looking ahead, Commissioner Carr identified a number of actions the agency can take in these two areas to ensure that the U.S. continues to reap the benefits of a first-mover advantage in 5G.
With regard to spectrum, he recommended a number of additional steps in 2021, including:
- Auctioning 100 MHz in the 3.45 GHz – 3.55 GHz band and adopting rules that allow licensees to operate at sufficient power levels for 5G;
- Auctioning 100+ MHz of mid-band spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band;
- In the 6 GHz band, authorizing (1) very low power (VLP) devices, and (2) device-to-device communications;
- Increasing permissible power levels in the 3.5 GHz (CBRS) band;
- Updating the rules for the 5470-5725 MHz (U-NII-2C) band; and
- Working with Congress to reauthorize the Commission's auction authority.
In 2022 and beyond, he suggested that still more spectrum might be made available between 1300 MHz and 1350 MHz, in the 42 GHz band, below 3.45 GHz, in the 4.8 GHz band, between 7.125 and 8.4 GHz, and above 95 GHz.
In terms of infrastructure reform, Commissioner Carr has led efforts to eliminate bureaucratic red tape; update rules, including those relating to environmental and historic preservation concerns; expedite small-cell deployments; and streamline local approval processes. He highlighted that, as a consequence, the number of new cell sites built annually has increased dramatically, from just over 700 in 2016 to more than 46,000 in 2019.
Moving forward, he urged the FCC to:
- Make updated broadband maps available later this year, which would allow it to begin the 5G Fund for Rural America auction in early 2022;
- Create a Federal Lands Desk at the Commission to facilitate 5G infrastructure construction on federal lands;
- Revise its cost-sharing rules for replacing utility poles;
- Expand his 5G jobs initiative to double the number of tower techs and telecom crew members; and
- Reject regulatory proposals, including calls to subsidize private network overbuilds and reclassify broadband under Title II, that discourage private sector investment.
A copy of Commissioner Carr's prepared remarks is available on the FCC's website.
Expect to hear more on 5G, among other timely topics, during Commissioner Carr's fireside chat, which will take place virtually, via Zoom, on Tuesday, March 23, 2021, at 11:00 am EDT.
Please click here to register.
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