Page 13 - May-June 2018 GSE Report Flip Book

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MAJAYN-UAJRUYNE20210818
Trump administration focuses on building a 5G mobile broadband network to fuel technological advances and continued economic growth
In testimony before Congress, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said building a 5G mobile broadband network is a chief concern of the Trump administration. The wireless industry has pushed Congress and the administration aggressively to aid in the race to 5G, arguing the technology will help the U.S. gain an economic advantage over other countries that are building 5G networks, particularly China.
In a CNBC interview, Ross said, “I think the pitch that Sprint and T-Mobile are making is an interesting one, that their merger would propel Verizon and AT&T into more active pursuit of 5G. Whoever pursues it, whoever does it, we’re very much in support of 5G. We need it. We need it for defense purposes, we need it for commercial purposes.”
During his confirmation hearing, FCC nominee Geoffrey Starks told lawmakers that 5G technology is extremely important to the nation’s economy and making more spectrum bands available for 5G is one of the keys for success. “The race to 5G is on and the U.S., I believe, needs to maintain its leadership here,” said Starks. “In particular, 3.5, the C-Band, 5.9, 6.4 and then getting up into the high band, 24 GHz, 28, 37, 39, 47, 64” and higher. Each of those are going to play an important role. ...It’s going to be essential that we start to modernize our siting of cells and our rights-of-way policies.”
In June, the FCC took steps to make additional high-brand spectrum available for advanced wireless services. “[These actions] are the building blocks of the nation’s 5G future and critical to continued U.S. wireless leadership,” wrote the FCC. “Pushing more spectrum into the marketplace for the next generation of wireless connectivity will contribute to economic growth, job creation, public safety, and our nation’s global competitiveness.” Specifically, the FCC adopted rules for adopting an operability requirement for the entire 24 GHz band, a sharing framework to allow
use of a portion of the 24 GHz band for terrestrial wireless operations and Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) earth stations, a band plan for the Lower 37 GHz band, and spectrum aggregation rules applicable to certain bands. The Commission took these actions “in response to the growing demand for spectrum-based services and to facilitate the development of 5G.” (The Hill, Ali Breland, 05/01/18; FierceWireless, Monica Alleven, 06/21/1/8; Radio + Television Business Report, 06/07/18)
Broadband service, coupled with “Halo-Fi” satellites—a network of inexpensive low earth orbit satellites that serve as “mico-routers”—will deliver fast, reliable Internet access at dramatically cheaper costs. Agora Financial’s Ray Blanco wrote:
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