Senators press nominee on NTIA, mid-band spectrum and DoD coordination

Senators emphasized spectrum access as a top priority for national competitiveness and 5G/6G development and asked nominee Howard Lutnick to commit to working with Congress and the Department of Defense to free mid-band spectrum for commercial use while protecting national security.

Why this matters: Access to mid-band spectrum is widely viewed as essential for next-generation wireless technologies. The NTIA advises the administration on federal spectrum use and must balance commercial access with military and national security needs.

Ranking Member Maria Cantwell and several senators including John Thune and Marsha Blackburn asked Lutnick whether he would work with the committee to expand commercial access to mid-band spectrum. Cantwell said the Department of Commerce will "oversee the National Telecommunications and Information Administration charged by Congress to manage spectrum sharing across all government agencies." Lutnick replied he would "absolutely" work with the committee and said he expected to coordinate closely with the Department of Defense.

Senators also raised the challenge of identifying federal spectrum that could be repurposed or shared with commercial users, including radar and communications used by military assets. Nominee Lutnick described the need for collaboration and stated his leaning toward giving commerce-sector needs priority where appropriate while maintaining national security protections.

Lawmakers urged use of dynamic sharing approaches and legislative fixes to maintain auction authority debated in the committee. Several senators sought Lutnick's support for timely auctions and spectrum management reforms that would give commercial users clearer access paths to mid-band frequencies.