FCC Chair urges faster spectrum allocation for wireless growth at DC event

US wireless industry leaders are emphasizing the critical relationship between spectrum allocation, artificial intelligence, and national technological leadership. At CTIA’s 5G Summit in Washington, DC, industry figures highlighted how spectrum shortages could hamper America’s ability to compete globally in wireless technology—an issue with implications across sectors from economic development to national security, particularly as AI becomes increasingly mobile.

The big picture: Former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, now CTIA’s president and CEO, positioned wireless leadership as fundamental to broader technological dominance, declaring that “countries that lead the world in wireless will lead in every technology-enabled sector that will define the next decade.”

Key priorities: Industry leaders outlined a three-part agenda focused on regulatory action to strengthen America’s wireless position.

• Restored FCC spectrum auction authority, which has been lapsed for over two years, emerged as a crucial first step.
• A new spectrum pipeline with licensed, full-power, and globally harmonized spectrum topped carriers’ wish lists.
• Reduced regulations on infrastructure permitting rounded out the industry’s requests.

Why this matters: Current FCC Chair Brendan Carr highlighted that the US has fallen significantly behind global competitors in spectrum allocation for 5G services.

• The US currently has approximately 380 megahertz available for exclusive 5G high-power use, while China has four times that amount.
• America ranks 13th out of 15 leading economies in terms of available high-power, mid-band spectrum allocation.

The AI connection: Carr emphasized that spectrum allocation directly impacts America’s ability to fully leverage artificial intelligence technologies.

• “We have to make sure that [AI] works on our mobile networks… we need to have the spectrum necessary, the infrastructure necessary, so that AI can be mobile,” Carr stated.

What’s next: Carr outlined the administration’s forward-looking agenda focused on four pillars: spectrum allocation, infrastructure reform, deregulation, and space economy development.