For Immediate Release

July 01, 2025

Contact: [email protected]

Washington, D.C. – Spectrum for the Future, a diverse coalition of innovators, anchor institutions, and technology companies, called for additional protections of the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) following the Senate passage of the ‘Big Beautiful’ budget reconciliation bill. The package mandates the sale of mid-band spectrum for high-power exclusive use, a giveaway to the Big 3 cellular carriers. While it protects some defense bands (3.1-3.45 GHz and 7.4-8.4 GHz) from being repurposed, the same protections are not specifically extended to CBRS, which operates in the 3.55-3.7 GHz band.

“CBRS is America’s innovation band, enabling thousands of license holders — American companies — to generate mobile competition, connect rural areas, and power cutting edge American manufacturing,” said Tamara Smith, spokesperson for Spectrum for the Future. 

“An America-first spectrum strategy must preserve competition from lower-cost wireless providers and support job creation while protecting national security,” added Smith. “As the work now shifts to the FCC and NTIA, we urge the Trump administration to ensure that CBRS remains a vital enabling resource for rural families, smart factories, and private investment in 5G networks in all 50 states.”