Spectrum for the Future Statement on AT&T’s Proposal to Undermine Competition from CBRS Users

Washington, D.C. – Spectrum for the Future, a diverse coalition of innovators, anchor institutions, and technology companies, released the following statement regarding AT&T’s latest proposal to undermine competition from Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) users.

“AT&T doesn’t just want to kill competition in the CBRS band, they want exclusive control over spectrum currently shared among a diverse array of users. Four years ago, AT&T declined to participate in the CBRS auction alongside the other two major U.S. cellular carriers, and now the company is feeling left out of the private wireless boom and desperate to arrest the new competition driving down prices for U.S. consumers,” said Tamara Smith, spokesperson for Spectrum for the Future. “Though leaders in China may agree with AT&T about exclusive, high-power licensing, it is not a path to success for the U.S. military, U.S. consumers, or U.S. global wireless leadership. Rather than make a good-faith suggestion for improving CBRS, AT&T is simply proposing to restrict others’ use of spectrum, short-circuit innovation, threaten military services, and undermine America’s future global leadership in spectrum sharing technologies. The future of spectrum is shared, and we shouldn’t be wasting time with anti-competitive proposals to roll back the clock.”