Internal squabbling over access to wireless spectrum could cost the U.S. dearly in the 5G race with China
By Ryan Tracy and Drew FitzGerald Nov. 11, 2019 10:04 pm ET President Trump stood in front of hardhat-wearing cell-tower climbers this spring in the White House and declared deploying a superfast 5G wireless network a national priority.
The resulting delays in spectrum allocation are no small matter, threatening to undermine America’s efforts to dominate the wireless technology that will be embedded in so many innovations in the future. 5G, short for fifth-generation wireless, is expected to be 100 times faster than today’s 4G networks. The country that takes the lead in 5G will pave the way for its companies to access more-powerful wireless technology sooner than foreign rivals.
An eye on voters There’s also plenty of political motivation for the Trump administration to resolve the spectrum squabbles. In early spring, Mr. Trump was shown two maps of the U.S., according to a person familiar with the exchange. One showed counties that voted for him in the 2016 election, while the other depicted areas underserved by broadband-internet providers.They looked identical, this person said.
The FCC has been reviewing the issue for more than two years, caught among several competing proposals. Satellite firms say the fastest solution is for them to run a private auction of the spectrum that they now use, overseen by regulators, that would allow 5G operators to quickly access the C-band.
Faster Wi-Fi is a priority for the FCC because many of the future applications that will rely on the speed of 5G networks mayl also rely on the speed of Wi-Fi routers—for example, running a home full of connected devices. Separately, the Departments of Energy and Education have objected to opening up spectrum bands used by utilities and schools, respectively.
But when Mr. Pai and Ms. Chao had their phone call, the NTIA wasn’t on the line. The head of that agency, David Redl, had just quit. Tensions boiled over early this year, when U.S. officials were meeting with other countries for discussions on harmonizing the way spectrum is used across the globe. Commerce Department officials told representatives of other countries that the FCC wasn’t speaking for all of the U.S. government, infuriating FCC officials who felt the U.S. had agreed on a position, according to people familiar with the matter. A Commerce Department spokeswoman said the agency “isn’t aware of this event.
On May 6, Mr. Redl gave a speech calling for more cooperation on spectrum, warning against “false choices that will shortchange America.” He resigned on May 9. He was under pressure from senior Commerce Department officials to step down, people familiar with the matter said. Mr. Redl declined to discuss the circumstances of his departure for this article.
Still waiting On July 11, officials from the FCC, Commerce Department and other agencies met in the White House Situation Room. White House National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow reminded Mr. Ross of the president’s desire for 5G deployment, according to people familiar with the matter. Mr. Ross, speaking from prepared talking points, voiced the concerns of the Commerce Department’s scientists, these people said.
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