Spectrum for the Future Urges Senate Leaders to Prioritize Shared Spectrum

Washington, D.C. – Spectrum for the Future, a diverse coalition of innovators, anchor institutions, and technology companies, released the following statement regarding today’s hearing in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on federal spectrum policy and its impact on U.S. competitiveness relative to China:

“The People’s Republic of China is pressing the world to expand exclusive licensing because it will help companies like Huawei and ZTE consolidate control over the global equipment market,” said Tamara Smith, spokesperson for Spectrum for the Future. “AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile favor the same approach because it will allow them to shut out the competition, holding back wireless innovation and economic growth. It’s the wrong course for U.S. competitiveness, and it’s the wrong course for the Pentagon, which would be forced to waste $250 billion clearing out critical radar and missile defense systems.

“If lawmakers want to expand commercial access to valuable spectrum, they don’t have to jeopardize national security. Spectrum sharing is an American innovation, led by American companies, and it creates jobs from the factory floor to family farms – without disrupting critical national security systems. Exclusively licensed spectrum only benefits the Big Three – but spectrum sharing lets hundreds of companies compete. We urge lawmakers to join the U.S. military leaders, businesses, and innovators that have embraced this America-first approach to spectrum allocation.”