The White House this month, in concert with the Federal Communications Commission, announced a plan to auction off more spectrum to be used to further develop 5G wireless networks across the United States. This breakthrough technology will provide enormous benefits to consumers and taxpayers, and spectrum auctions are crucial to kickstarting some of the innovation and development that will keep the United States ahead of the technological curve.
5G is faster and more reliable than the current generation of wireless technology, and will enable everything from more autonomous cars to smart grid electricity technology to everyday consumer devices. For taxpayers, the deployment of next-generation networks also translates to savings as government services from traffic system management to trash collection become more efficient. The potential for infrastructure improvements is enormous - but 5G rollout requires infrastructure work in and of itself, which means the government needs to do its part to help enable these benefits to accrue to Americans.
As National Taxpayers Union has advocated in the past:
The National Taxpayers Union, on behalf of its members around the country, applauds the FCC’s decision to reform permitting processes and anticipates that this will lead to better connectivity for small businesses across the country and save taxpayer money.
“Reforming the process for 5G deployment will lead to a more connected and competitive America,” said NTU Executive Vice President Brandon Arnold. “Faster deployment of the next wave of wireless technology will create jobs, reduce government waste, save taxpayer money, and help American businesses stay ahead of the technological curve.”
A new study, “Global Race to 5G,” conducted by Analysis Mason finds that the U.S. leads the world in some key metrics for 5G readiness, but that there is still work to do. While the technology is ready and spectrum will be made available, the U.S. could still help with barriers to deployment. As the study finds:
In our previous report, the US scored lower in terms of government support for infrastructure deployment, and lower still in terms of mid-band spectrum. Progress has been made on both fronts, and this has been reflected in the updated scores. However, challenges to the infrastructure decisions made by the FCC last year will require continued monitoring in 2019. Likewise, further attention on mid-band spectrum assignment will be needed in the future.
The current leadership of the FCC have made 5G capability and readiness a top priority, and it’s clearly paying off: the U.S. is leading the way. But there’s still more to do, from regulatory reform to infrastructure permitting, in order to make sure that every American will be able to enjoy the benefits.