WASHINGTON, D.C.—Nearly a year after Congress allowed the FCC’s authority to auction spectrum to lapse, Federal Communications Commission chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel is calling on Congress to restore the authority, which has produced billions in revenue for the U.S. Treasury and allowed newer technologies like 5G to flourish.
In another sign of increasing dysfunction in Congress, which is sharply divided on party lines, Congress failed to renew the FCC’s auction authority in March 10, 2023 for the first time ever and has since failed to act on the issue.
“For more than thirty years, the Federal Communications Commission’s authority to auction the nation’s airwaves proved to be an indispensable tool for harnessing the promise of new wireless technologies while also spurring economic growth, creating jobs, and strengthening our national security and international leadership,” Rosenworcel said. “However, in light of the reality the agency has faced for almost a year, we are now compelled to ask what we can do with our current unassigned spectrum in order to keep innovation moving ahead in a global market for wireless that is not slowing down. I remain hopeful that the FCC’s auction authority will be restored quickly so that this important program is once again able to produce results for consumers and the economy. The agency stands ready to work with lawmakers to ensure we don’t find ourselves in the same place next year.”
The Brookings Institution has noted that FCC spectrum auctions have generated more than $233 billion in revenue for the U.S. Treasury since its inception and helped reallocate spectrum for newer technologies such as 5G.
Given the agency’s current lack of spectrum auction authority, the FCC also reported that it has opened a docket to explore how its existing regulatory tools and current statutory authority could provide the public with access to its inventory of currently unassigned spectrum in bands previously licensed for wireless services through auctions.
Rosenworcel also noted that she remains committed to working with Congress to restore the agency’s auction authority as originally outlined in Section 309 of the Communications Act.
