US tech companies need spectrum to avoid being left behind by foreign nations and tap into the economic opportunity of 5G and similar technologies. Whether through streamlining the auction process or requiring federal agencies to provide definitive evidence before blocking auctions, the government should prioritize maximizing its availability of spectrum. Action now will let the US […]
auctions
Statement on Reauthorizing the FCC’s Auction Authority
Earlier this month, the House Committee on Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology marked up H.R. 7783, the Extending America’s Auction Leadership Act. The bill would grant the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) the ability to conduct spectrum auctions for an additional 18 months. The agency’s auction authority expires on September 30th and must […]
Economic Standard: Competitive Spectrum Policies Keep America Online
Video conferences, online classrooms, and telehealth have all become mainstream in 2020. This huge change has been made feasible by federal policies that focus on getting the most value out of America’s telecommunications resources. To replicate this success and avoid future waste, access to American spectrum needs to be competitive. The global coronavirus pandemic has […]
FCC Moves Forward on C-Band Auctions for 5G Services
The following is a statement by Steve Pociask, president and CEO for the American Consumer Institute: “The FCC’s decision to move forward with the C-band auction before the end of 2020, and provide incumbents with incentive payments to clear bands by 2021, is a win for America in the race to 5G. Mid-band spectrum is […]
ACI Event Video: Alleviating the Spectrum Crunch
Experts forecast there will be over 31 billion IoT devices by 2023. To power these devices and the wireless networks that support them, the United States needs to ensure that the spectrum that powers these networks are put to their highest and best use to meet consumer demand and build new markets. Join us for […]
Coalition Calls for Expediting C-Band Spectrum Auctions
Today ACI joined Heritage Action, the American Enterprise Institute, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, R-Street and the Lincoln Network in sending a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee calling for private auctions of C-Band Spectrum. Such an auction would prevent years of delay that a government-run auction would create, thereby speeding spectrum for 5G […]
The Next Spectrum Auctions
Spectrum is the engine of the mobile wireless industry. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regularly runs auctions so carriers can retool with additional spectrum. The exclusive right to use segments of the electromagnetic spectrum can be very costly, particularly since the bidding is done for specific frequencies in specific locales. To illustrate the complexity, Carrier […]
Chasing Wi-Fi Speed, Coverage, and Compatibility
The GSM association reports that 4.7 billion subscribers used mobile wireless during 2015 and 1 billion used the high speed 4G mobile wireless technology. Video is soaking up whatever spectrum capacity operators make available, and the demand for bandwidth will continue growing. With 5G technology still under development and years away from widespread deployment, mobile […]
ACI in Forbes: The Spectrum Shortage Is Coming
The booming demand for wireless services continues to be big news and it should be. A recent report estimates 2014 total wireless subscriber connections to have topped 355 million, along with nearly 2 trillion text messages and more than 4 trillion megabits of wireless data traffic. The brisk rise in smartphone users, increase in video streaming and […]
DOJ’s Twisted Logic: Rigging Auctions Promotes Competition
It is with total disbelief that I write about a recent letter from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on the rules for the upcoming “competitive” Spectrum auction. In the letter, the DOJ – the United States’ chief antitrust and law enforcement agency – writes in support of […]