A proposed bill allocating additional spectrum in the mid-band for commercial wireless is an essential weapon in the recently begun cold war with China, Michael Powell, president & CEO of NCTA, the Internet and Television Association, told Congress last week. Powell borrowed some philosophy from a Chinese military strategist to make his point.
“Attacking China is a multi-front war,” Powell said. “To follow the advice of Sun Tzu, don’t attack where they’re strong, attack where they’re weak.”
Powell went on to note that Wi-Fi’s democratization of spectrum access contrasts with China’s top down approach to command and control.
“China does not appreciate or embrace the [Wi-Fi] technology approach because it would empower their citizens in a way that they’re unwilling to do in their communist system,” he said. “And this gives America an enormous competitive advantage, because we harness the innovation potential of every one of our citizens.”
Powell’s testimony supporting the Spectrum Pipeline Act of 2025 came during the hearing “Strengthening American Leadership in Wireless Technology,” held by the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology on January 23.
The hearing was held the same day Rep. Rick Allen (GA-12), vice chair, Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, House Energy Committee, introduced Spectrum Pipeline Act of 2025, which identifies mid-band spectrum to be reallocated for wireless, renews FCC auction authority, promotes unlicensed spectrum, and allows federal agencies to purchase equipment using spectrum auction proceeds.
Rep. Doris Matsui, (CA-07) spoke in favor of several aspects of the legislation, including a healthy spectrum pipeline, allocation of unlicensed spectrum and FCC auction authority.
“Spectrum is a key engine of wireless innovation. [Maximizing spectrum use] requires a comprehensive approach that strikes the right balance of licensed, unlicensed and shared spectrum,” she said. “We need a bipartisan solution that not only restores auction authority but also promotes a healthy spectrum pipeline.”
Diane Rinaldo, Executive Director, Open RAN Policy Coalition, spoke in favor of reinstating FCC auction authority, which is another component of the bill. “To navigate these challenges, the U.S. must reassert its leadership by restoring spectrum auction authority, strengthening collaboration across sectors, and advancing a clear, coordinated national strategy for telecommunications with competition and cybersecurity at its heart.”
Brad Gillen, executive vice president of CTIA, said there is a need to quickly address communications challenges with both unlicensed and licensed spectrum.
“We need to move decisively,” Gillen said. “Congress’s role to set that direction and that structure you propose is flexible. It allows the agencies to determine which bands are right, and that we need to move forward together on both licensed and unlicensed spectrum.”
Chris Lewis, president and CEO of Public Knowledge, joined other panelists in lauding the development of Citizens Broadband Radio Service, because its hybrid of licensed spectrum and unlicensed spectrum has generated investment in private 5G and LTE networks and supplemented networks of Tribal providers and other rural ISPs.
“On the one hand, spectrum sharing offers the tantalizing vision of a world without spectrum scarcity, permitting unlimited innovation,” Lewis said. “On the other hand, we rely on exclusive licensing to provide the incentive for wireless providers to build nationwide networks.”
Sharing is the Answer to Spectrum Reallocation Battles
The cold war is not just with China. An internal battle is currently being fought in the U.S. as agencies attempt to find additional spectrum in the mid band to reallocate for commercial wireless. Noting that all the “low hanging fruit has already been eaten,” Powell said the remaining spectrum is used by the government for mission critical purposes and relocating them would be too expensive and time consuming.
As the FCC and the NTIA look for new spectrum for wireless, Powell warned against pitting national security against commercial wireless interests.
“The battle between government users trying to keep control of their spectrum versus commercial players trying to take it away is boiling over, spilling into the political arena for a resolution,” Powell said. “This is a painful and dangerous path that pits commercial wireless against national security and leads to endless cycles of political conflict.”
Powell offered up shared spectrum models as the answer to meeting current and future wireless needs. Technologies, such as dynamic spectrum management and sensing technology have made it possible to coordinate and manage different users in multiple services in the same spectrum band, he said.
“If government and commercial users can share spectrum, then both sides win, and our policy leaders don’t have to referee pitched spectrum battles constantly,” Powell said.